A Different Kind of PureBlood
by Ceilidh of One
Summary: With the Order of the Phoenix gone, Harry has no more protection with the abusive Dursleys. He expects to be murdered. What he doesn't expect is to be rescued by an equally helpless Draco Malfoy, who's been disowned for becoming a vampire! HPDM SLASH.
1. Twist Away

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- Written by Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

* * *

**Part 1- Twist Away**

"BOY!"

I don't want to…

"wake up, boy! NOW!"

No, I'd really rather lie here until I die…

A huge fist crashed into Harry Potter's chest, causing the thin boy to cry out in pain, all the wind knocked from his body. While he lie gasping, trying to recover from the unexpected blow, his massive uncle Vernon glared at the messy black hair of his pathetic nephew. Green eyes filled with tears as Harry looked up, gasping out a weak "yes, uncle Vernon," while he forced his breathing back to normal.

"Get dressed, boy. You're going to buy groceries."

"Yes, uncle Vernon," Harry whispered, wincing in pain. The large man retreated from the room, letting Harry dress himself.

As the frail boy put on some clothes, the tears that had gathered in his eyes finally slid down the bony curve of his cheek. The Order of the Phoenix had sent him back to the Dursleys with promises that he wouldn't be mistreated again. But the dead couldn't keep their promise… All the members of the Order were dead and buried, murdered and left broken in the wake of the Dark Lord. Harry no longer had guards at Number 4, Privet Drive. He knew perfectly ell that, at any given moment, he could hear the words 'Avada Kedavra' and fall lifelessly to the ground. He almost wished they would kill him and have it done with. Everyone he loved had been taken away from him. Well, almost. Ron and Hermione lived, but they were in hiding.

Within minutes, Harry was flung unceremoniously out the door with twenty pounds and a brief grocery list. It was a grand opportunity to run away, but Harry was without his magic wand. He would have had it with him, but Vernon had taken it away from him. He, too, waited impatiently for the death of Harry Potter. It was with a pathetic groan that the boy plucked his head from the flowerbed in which it had landed, spat out dirt, and grudgingly sauntered toward the corner store.

The night air was cold around him, and he wished he could have at least gotten a jacket. Yes, it was night; about three in the morning, really. During previous summer breaks, the Dursleys would make him labor from the moment he awoke to the moment he went to bed. This year, they were malicious, never letting him sleep a full night. They wanted him to be weak by the time a random Death Eater came after him. He was a plague upon their doorstep, a danger to the family, a disgrace, a thing that needed to be destroyed…

But a few minutes later, he left the little shop with a clunky armload of overpriced food, wishing he had used a bit of cash to get himself a chocolate bar, or anything to curb his appetite. The Dursleys had also fallen back to their punishment during his second year; starvation. This year, he couldn't write to anyone to send food. There was nobody left, so he had to bear it. Vernon Dursley would notice if even the smallest amount of cash went missing. Harry shrugged his load up, longing to return to Hogwarts, but that was weeks ago. Maybe he could live through this.

If he really wanted to. As witnessed only by the moon, another tear cascaded down his cheek, and he whispered softly, "Now. Come out and do it now. If anybody can hear me, kill me now."

Harry paused for a moment, hoping to hear something remotely like footsteps behind him, but nothing reached his ears save the nightly breeze. He still hoped to hear it, though. Still freezing in the crisp night, he pleaded for any noise, anything at all. Then, and only then, it reached his ears. But it wasn't the footsteps he expected.

Someone was crying.

Harry had cried many times in the past, and heard many people crying. He knew how to distinguish fake sobs from the soft gasps of depression, and he could hear the difference between panic and pain. The person was in pain. There were whimpers and sharp gasps between the choked-out sobs. Agony. Terrified agony.

He determination to be murdered vanished instantly, to be replaced by alarm and pity. Clutching his bags close, Harry followed the sound. His ears and feet led him to a darkened alley, between two abandoned old homes. Who would be crying in there? The possibility of this being a trap flickered through his mind, but he didn't care. The Dark Lord had used his good heart against him, but for once, he didn't mind the idea of being murdered. What he wouldn't stand for was the potential abandonment of somebody that really needed help. He wanted to find and comfort this person, damage be damned.

He stepped into the darkness.

A small figure was huddled up against a trash can, convulsing, racked with sobs. "What's the matter?" Harry asked gently, setting down the groceries and debating internally whether or not he should go nearer.

"Hungry," a young, broken voice responded. It was hard to tell, but Harry thought it was a boy's voice. "I'm so hungry." The voice was familiar, but Harry just couldn't place it.

"I have some food," Harry said lightly, knowing he would be beaten for giving some food away, but this seemed to be a good cause. The boy stopped trembling so much, and his head tilted up, but the shadows were too deep for Harry to recognize him.

"You would feed me?" he gasped, something in his voice reading of frightened hesitance. "_You?_"

"Of course!" Harry replied. The hair on the back of his neck was prickling, but he couldn't see why. He lowered his eyes from the boy, so that he could dig in the bag for something ready to eat. He found bread rolls and cheese. The shaking boy whispered something, but Harry didn't hear him properly, so he looked up- only to find that the boy had vanished.

"Hello?" Harry whispered, suddenly awake with dread. He should have known. He should have seen it coming. The Dark Lord had used his good heart against him before.

"Thank you," the broken voice cooed from behind Harry's ear. Before he could turn around, icy hands latched onto his shoulder. He was so shocked by the cold that he froze, muscles tensed as his body attempted and failed to shudder. Perhaps this wasn't a trap, and the hungry kid was just an incredibly _creepy_ hungry kid. But the fact remained that Harry simply could not move.

While Harry remained stationary, those cold (and thin!) arms twined their way around him, locking him in place. The grip was so firm that, when Harry recovered from his shock, he still would be immobile. He felt the telltale contours of the boy's chin rest gently on his shoulder, effectively scaring the clockworks out of him.

"Thank you so much… _Harry._"

Upon hearing his name, Harry tried to twist around to see the hungry guy, wanting to ask how he knew who he was, but this action was cut off abruptly. Harry gasped and tried to struggle as he felt a stabbing pain in his neck, the telltale sensation of flesh being separated. Was this guy slitting his throat! He tried to kick out behind him, or at least turn around, but he found he could do neither. In fact, he had no control over his body at all. His eyes widened with horror as he found himself slumping back into the arms of the stranger, with a strangled groan. His head fell back onto the stranger's shoulder.

The second he relaxed, the searing pain vanished, replaced by something else entirely. Ecstasy. It was almost like the Imperious curse, only, instead of being commanded to do something in his blissful state of mind, he had only to relax and enjoy it. The alley had already been pitch black before, but he knew his vision was fading into darkness. He found the he didn't really care now, even has his body relaxed to the point of not breathing. This was a much better way to die than anything he had ever imagined, even if he didn't understand what was happening. He could feel his heart slowing down…

It was gone as suddenly as it had came. Harry found himself shuddering and drawing in weak gasps of air, still held by the boy, still incapable of movement. What in Merlin's name just happened? He neck was still stinging slightly. The stranger turned him slightly, but through Harry's clouded vision, he couldn't se any of his features. He was just looking at Harry, just looking. He looked like a bright spot in Harry's vision, which meant he must have been extremely pale. Though this was a calm moment, a solitary thought passed through Harry's mind… _This guy just tried to kill me._

The stranger seemed to notice what was going through Harry's mind, because he tensed and turned around to run. Harry didn't let him. His fist swung out, catching the boy with a blow to the back of the head. Dizzy from the sudden motion, Harry slumped weakly against the wall, staring in shock at the boy beside him.

His vision cleared for a split second as the pale boy slowly turned to gape at him. His eyes were gray, hair smooth and blond. He wore black robes that were torn in several places, yet still appeared very fine and well tailored. Harry stared at him as the boy's eyes rolled up slightly, and he collapsed gracefully onto the pavement.

It was Draco Malfoy, Harry realized, as his last ounce of strength faded and the world fell to darkness.

* * *

Well, there's the first part! What do YOU think just happened? Please REVIEW!


	2. Twist the Other Way

**_A Different Kind of Pure Blood- Written by Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR_**

**_And for special thanks... Arigatou to you all! HyperInsanity, Morena, Lucy, Aticia, and Elektral! Just so's you know, this all takes place after 5th year. The death of the order of the Phoenix people was all very early into the summer._**

* * *

**Part 2- Twist the Other Way**

When Harry opened his eyes, he still saw nothing. Either the room was dark, or he was blind… no, it was just a dark room. He adjusted slowly to the light (or lack thereof) and tried not to move. He was certain that something bad would happen if he did. He felt rather weak and exhausted, but he couldn't quite remember why. With wary eyes, he took in his blurry surroundings, noticing his lack of glasses.The room has was in was nearly empty. A lonely and unclean wardrobe stood in the corner. Dark, thick, and dusty curtains covered a large window. Harry was lying on the bottom bunk of a twin bed. He couldn't see the top bunk, but he could tell from the squished mattress above him that it was occupied.

He didn't dare to move. For one terrible moment, Harry was afraid that Malfoy had taken him to Voldemort- but then his sense kicked in, and he knew that Voldemort would much rather torture and kill him than lock him away with a cozy bed. Although he relaxed at the thought of not being captured by the dark Lord, he was also alarmed and filled with suspense- if he wasn't a Death eater captive, then where was he, and why was he here?

"You're in the Leaky Cauldron," a voice drawled from above him. Harry's breath hitched. Oh, god, that voice, it's- "Room 4. I was wondering when you'd wake up." The bulges on the squishy mattress above him shifted, and Harry gaped as Draco Malfoy's blond head dangled out of the top bunk, gray eyes fixed on his own emerald green ones. His white eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked over Harry, who was frozen in place. "You look like hell," Malfoy stated simply.

That got a growl out of Harry. "I'm probably _in_ hell, considering who I'm bunked up with." A moment after he said it, Harry regretted it. Pain ripped through his chest as his lungs didn't want to take in the air. Malfoy stared at him curiously as he ground his teeth and coughed slightly. Why was he this weak? His lungs were not on his side. "That hurt," He mumbled after the bout was gone.

The mattress above shifted again. Malfoy propped his head up on his hands, and the look he fixed Harry with was rather serious. "How does it feel?" he asked softly. The tone was a lot more gentle than Harry had come to expect from his less-threatening-than-Voldemort nemesis. In his dazed and aching state, Harry didn't know what he was talking about.

"The bed?" Harry croaked blankly, being careful to not take too deep a breath.

"The _pain_, dumbass." Malfoy's drawl was back in place, and Harry smirked. For a split second, he was glad to see the spark of annoyance on Malfoy's pale features. If Malfoy had randomly started being nice to him, the world would surely explode in shock. Ah, one thing that would never change… the mutual hatred between Potter and Malfoy.

"It feels like a Hungarian Horntail took a shit on me," Harry coughed. An exasperated groan escaped the lips of the pale boy above him, and Harry decided to interrupt whatever he planned on saying. "Can I ask a question?" Harry wheezed.

"No," Malfoy drawled.

That caught Harry by surprise, and it annoyed him endlessly. "Well, I'm asking it anyway!" he spat, before being overcome by a strong fit of coughs. Malfoy's head disappeared for a minute, and the mattress shifted as the pale boy moved toward the ladder at the far end of the bed. Through his choking breaths, Harry felt a bit of alarm. _Great, I've made him angry. Now he's going to kill me._ He was doubled over in pain as he watched Malfoy descend the ladder. He looked a lot thinner than when Harry had last seen him, when Harry had cursed him into a squid on the train back from Hogwarts. There was no doubt that Malfoy would remember the incident.

Instead of heading toward Harry as his feet met the floor, the youngest Malfoy stalked regally towards the window. He was wearing the same clothing Harry had last seen him in; the elegant black robes that had been stained and ripped, as if the boy had ran away in the middle of a fancy dinner and been attacked by something with claws. Catching his breath, Harry couldn't help it but wonder what had happened to his pale rival. Perhaps he really had been attacked by something. Why wasn't he at home with his father and Mother, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?

Draco Malfoy hissed something under his breath, and stood against the wall, near the curtains. His long hands reached out slightly, taking the curtain cord and pulling it sharply. Light flooded the room, daylight, and though it stung Harry's eyes for a minute, the change was very welcome. He could see the train right outside the window, see the whole of London before him. But the best thing he saw was Hedwig, his beautiful snowy owl, scratching at the window to be let in. He would have moved to open the window, but his body wouldn't allow it. He was relieved to see that Malfoy was opening the latch, keeping his hand out of the light for reasons unknown. For a split second, a sunbeam fell upon his white skin, and with a sharp hiss, Draco snapped his hand forward, knocking the window open. Hedwig soared in gracefully. Malfoy instantly receded to the shadows.

Harry was too busy being overjoyed about the arrival of his owl to note these strange things about Malfoy. "Hedwig," he sighed happily. "How did you escape the cage?" Hooting in a dignified way, Hedwig landed on his shoulder. Harry tried to lift a hand and stroke her, but it hardly moved up an inch before falling limply onto the blankets. He was too weak. "Sorry, Hedwig. I- I'd pet you, but I'm too tired…" She hooted softly. Malfoy's eyes glittered from the shadows. Harry glared in his direction, but continued to speak to his owl. "That's just what I get for falling into this conniving bastard's traps. If I'd known Malfoy would try to _rape_ me, I would never have tried to help him."

An annoyed hiss issued from the corner where Malfoy lurked. "For the record, I would never try to rape you. If I were to rape anyone, I would trust myself to have better… _taste_." Harry was at a loss for words. That wasn't in insult one heard every day.

"Than what did you do to me?" Harry demanded after a moment, groaning slightly as his lungs stung. Hedwig dug her claws into Harry's shoulder, but he was somewhat numb, and it didn't hurt very much.

The curtains snapped shut, and the pale Malfoy swooped forward, making his face hover inches over Harry's. The small boy flinched at the intensity of Malfoy's gray stare. "I got a taste," Malfoy whispered. Harry froze. What did that mean? A taste of what? The gray eyes above him seemed to glow in the darkness. Hedwig flew off of Harry's shoulder, landing on the wardrobe.

"Malfoy?" Harry gasped uncertainly, not liking how close their bodies had become. He felt trapped. Draco was a little larger than him, not by much, but the difference was notable. Malfoy frowned, gray eyes darting all over Harry's small and trembling figure. He brushed his blond hair out of his face, never taking his eyes off Harry Potter.

"Draco. Call me Draco, Harry."

Now THAT was strange. Nobody called him Draco, not even his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. The only person he had ever hear calling Draco by his first name was his father. It hit him that being allowed to use his first name must be a rare privilege.

"Since when were we on first-name terms?" Harry whispered slowly. The eyes above him softened slightly, and Mal- _Draco_ stood erect, fixing Harry with a very odd look. It was almost as if his eyes were trying to bore holes in Harry's head, possibly trying to split his scar open.

"Since last night, when you saved my life."

Harry's jaw dropped, emerald eyes shooting wide open. "What- when did I-" he began to ask, but a loud knock at the door caught his attention. Draco was gone before Harry could blink, and as the dusty old door creaked open, the mattress above him shifted under Draco's weight.

"Harry?" A familiar voice called. Harry tried to lift his head and look, but it fell back onto the pillow. "Harry! Oh, you're okay!" A split second later, the intruder was on him, knelt by his side, with her arms wrapped around him tightly. Fluffy brown hair tickled his nose, and Harry's body screamed in pain as he was forced to move. With a small gasp, she released her hold, letting him fall back onto the mattress.

"H-Hermione?" Harry choked, his eyes watering from the pain. "I thought you were in hiding!"

"I was, Harry, I was," Hermione Granger cooed, as she draped a striper-shirt-clad arm over his chest and buried her fluffy head in his shoulder. "But I had to come. When I heard what happened- I couldn't stay away…" He could tell she was on the edge of tears. How Harry wanted to talk, to ask what was going on! But the pain was all over him, and he was too busy gasping for breath. "Malfoy was the one that found you, Harry," She whispered. Her voice quivered. "You were so messed up from the ordeal. I can't believe you punched him! He was only trying to help!"

_Help? _Harry though distantly, realizing that Draco must have fed her some cock-bull story about what happened. "He carried you all the way here from Privet Drive," Hermione continued, oblivious to Harry's confusion. "Don't you know how far that is? He doesn't have his wand, so he couldn't hail the Knight Bus or anything- he just walked! He carried you, without magic, all the way to London! Even after you hit him!"

"What?" Harry gasped. Draco Malfoy did **_what!_**

"He rescued you, Harry," Hermione explained softly. "We knew the Dursleys were… a bit abusive… But trying to kill you, Harry, we never… if I had known…" her arms tightened around him for a moment, a bit like a hug, and she slowly stood, her brown eyes misty. "I'm sorry."

So, that's the story Malfoy fed her.

She turned slightly and looked up at the top bunk, with a sigh. "It took a lot out of him. Still unconscious. I can't believe he carried you all that way…"

"Unconscious?" Harry breathed. Malfoy was absolutely still above him. Hermione nodded, and leaned down to brush his raven black hair out of Harry's eyes.

"I'll bring some soup," Hermione whispered. She retired from the room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts and Malfoy. Though he really wanted to fall asleep and ease this uncomfortable pain, he need his questions answered.

"Malfoy?" he croaked. Silence met his ears. "Malfoy," he said louder.

"Don't call me that," came the strained voice above him. "I'm not a Malfoy anymore."

As if Harry wasn't confused enough already.

"What the hell is going on!"

Draco Malfoy didn't answer.

* * *

Confused yet? REEEEEEVIEW! 


	3. Twisted Perspective

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- Written by Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you's go out to Escptheshdw835, Elektra107, and Kakisensei! Thanks for the reviews! Yes, Kaki, Draco's got plenty of problems in this one!

* * *

**Part 3- Twisted Perspective**

Harry woke up without realizing he had fallen asleep. He was still in that same bed, in the same room. The wardrobe was still dusty, but it now had a sleeping Hedwig residing on top. The curtains were shut tightly, and judging from the glow around the curtain's edges, it was night and the moon was making her presence known. A single streak of moonlight crept in between the shades. It fell on the beside table, which was burdened with a heap of books and… a bowl of soup.

Harry's stomach growled ferociously at the thought of food. He hadn't eaten for at least a day, and he hadn't exactly been nourished before that. All weakness forgotten, Harry sat bolt upright. His head crashed against the bunk above him, and he fell back onto the pillow with a pained groan. His muscles hurt a great deal, but not so much as his last conscious moments. Sitting up with more care, Harry leaned over and began to devour his soup. Chicken noodle? Oh well, he wasn't about to be picky. Somebody had charmed it to remain hot until he was awake to eat it. It felt great going down his throat. He spent several long minutes focusing on nothing but the soup, in quite a state of bliss. He knew it was some cheap brand, full of salt, but it still tasted heavenly. He had been so very hungry.

He had finished about half of the bowl when he noticed how the bed was shaking. Last time he was on a vibrating bed, there was a Monster Book of Monsters underneath that caused the shaking. However, this time the shaking came from above. Harry froze as he watched the mattress above quiver, proving that the person in the top bunk was tossing and turning very rapidly. Now that his focus was brought in that direction, he could hear soft crying. Much like the crying he heard when he first approached Draco in the alley, but quieter. Terror, agony…

"Mal- er, Draco?" Harry whispered, doubt and worry filling his mind.

"Go away," Draco's trembling voice came. "Granger is in room 6. Stay with her." If Harry hadn't been worried before, he was now. Not by the fact that Draco was warning him to leave, but by the fact that he called Hermione 'Granger' instead of 'Mudblood'. It suddenly hit Harry that, this entire time, Draco had been acting extremely human towards him and Hermione. Taking another gulp of soup, he made up his mind to ignore Draco's demand and pursue the problem.

Harry stumbled out of bed, noting that his legs shook and he had been dressed in silk pajamas. He briefly wondered who had taken off his other clothes and dressed him in his sleep, but decided swiftly that he didn't care to know. Taking his glasses from the bedside table, Harry stumbled to the ladder and climbed onto the top bunk. He was met with a trembling wad of blankets. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice empty.

"Mmph… go away," Draco mumbled, muffled by his covers. Without a moment's thought, Harry whisked the blankets off. He felt like an idiot afterwards. Malfoy was clad only in a pair of shiny silver boxers, and a layer of sweat that made his pale skin glisten. "Damn it, Harry!" Draco shrieked, grabbing the blankets back and burying himself in shame. He left his face exposed, letting Harry see the malicious glint in his eyes. Face burning, Harry mumbled a swift apology. "Go away!"

"Not until I know what's wrong with you," Harry stated stubbornly. On a second thought, he added, "And not until I get some answers."

"Answers to what?" Draco groaned, burying his head.

"As to what happened," Harry hissed. "Why you were on Privet Drive, what happened in that alley, how I got here. I want to know how much of truth you told Hermione. I want to know why you aren't asleep in some ridiculously huge bed at your family home surrounded by house elves. Why you're this messed up. Why you claim to not be a Malfoy."

"That's a lot of questions," the pale boy whispered. He curled into a tighter ball, still shaking. Harry sat down with his legs crossed, intending not to move until he knew what was going on and Draco stopped shaking like that.

"Just answer them."

Draco's gray eye poked out of the blanket. "In what order?" he drawled, voice quivering. Obvious to Harry, he was merely trying to be his usual self, but whatever caused him to shake like this had robbed him of his snide.

"Stop avoiding the subject," Harry groaned.

"I didn't realize there was a subject," Draco sighed. Though his eyelids dropped and his gaze became unfocused, his gray eyes were filled with a sparkly glow. Harry shook his head and decided it was a trick of the light.

"Answer me, DAMMIT! _What's going on!" _Abandoning his calm listening pose, Harry propped himself over Draco, trying to be somewhat intimidating since the pale boy wasn't taking him seriously. The blankets fell off the startled boy, but neither were too concerned about modesty at this point. Draco's glazed eyes slowly slid their focus back onto Harry. More specifically, Harry's scar. Draco's eyes were definitely glowing now, and it was definitely not a trick of the light. They were tinted red. They were so full of alarm, Harry almost withdrew, but he absolutely _had_ to get his answers.

"I…" the trapped boy began. He slowly closed his eyes. When they opened, the eyebrows suddenly creased downward in unmistakable rage. The red glow was almost blinding. _"Fuck you_," Draco snarled, in a voice so unlike his own. Harry hadn't expected a polite admission, but that was a little much. He leaned back a couple inches, alarm visible in his emerald eyes as an enraged hissing noise came from the Slytherin below him. It became as loud as a shriek after several seconds. "Fuck you!" Draco screamed, suddenly thrashing underneath Harry, who grabbed the bedpost to stop from being knocked off the bunk.

"Stop that!" Harry squeaked, before crying out as Draco slammed a palm into his chest and sent him back into the mattress.

"Fuck you, fuck you, _fuck you!_" Draco was spitting under his breath, his whole body trembling like a puppet that was being controlled by two hands at war.

Harry was afraid, rightfully so, that Draco had completely lost his mind. "Calm down!" Harry pleaded, reaching forward to try and still the boy's flailing limbs. He had to brace his legs between the mattress and the wood that supported it, burying his feet in blanket as he struggled to pin the Slytherin down. He was making a real ruckus, hissing and spitting and crashing against the walls, making the bed squeak. Over the noise, Harry barely heard the door click open. But hear it, he did.

"Fuck, Harry," Draco snarled.

This sounded a bit odd in his ears, but Harry ignored it. He was a little bit more preoccupied with staring at Hermione in the doorway. She had the oddest look on her face, lips very tight and her eyebrows were twitching. Was she blushing? "Sorry," she said quickly. "I'll, er, come back when you're done!"

Done with what?

… Oh.

… **Oh.**

_Oh, hell, this looks WRONG! _Harry mentally screamed. After all, he was in his pajamas, feet curled up in the blankets as he was pinning a panting and _very_ sweaty Draco down to the mattress! Hermione burst into peels of laughter and ran out the door, slamming it with all speed. "Hermione! Come back!" Harry yelled, his lungs aching for a brief moment. "That was NOT what it looked like!" His pleading call was interrupted by gleeful laughter right below him, and Harry looked down with shock to see Draco laughing hysterically. "It's not funny!" Harry bellowed.

"Yes it is," Draco choked, eyes tearing up with laughter. They were no longer glowing red, just gray and sparkling with salty tears.

"You did that- all that, just to-" Harry sputtered. Disgusted wasn't a good enough description of his current emotion. The laughing boy beneath him took a huge gasp of air, and as Harry opened his mouth to yell at him, Draco silenced him with a hand over his mouth.

"You must admit, it was funny," Draco chuckled. Harry slapped the long fingers away from his mouth and raised a fist, more than prepared to mutilate Draco's precious face. "Don't hit me! There's a very good reason I did that, really."

"You have three seconds," Harry growled. He lowered his fist, but his fingers were itching to wrap around the blonde's throat.

"My cover story!" Draco quipped hurriedly. Harry froze. "I told her that your filthy Muggle relatives tried to kill you."

"What does that have to do with-"

"-And the only reason I was there to _rescue_ you," Draco said loudly, cutting off Harry, "was because we had a very intimate relationship going, and I was paying my nightly visit to you."

"Nightly…" As realization hit Harry, the raven-haired boy stumbled away from Draco, almost falling off the bed. "Oh GOD, you twisted bastard! Now Hermione thinks I'm…. oh, God," Harry groaned. He must have done a good job telling this story to Hermione, because she clearly believed they were as _intimate_ as Draco claimed. There goes his reputation. Wait, if Hermione was here, didn't that mean Ron had been notified as well? Oh God, oh Merlin, now his two best friends would think he was a pouf. A pouf dating their worst enemy for years, at that! Draco only continued to laugh with wicked mirth. "That's why she's being so nice to you." Harry began to piece things together.

"Your precious Granger would never hurt something that matters so much to you," The pale boy chuckled. "Don't worry, she took the news rather well. She even made me promise to take good care of you. She held me at wand point, and everything."

"And she must think I've been keeping secrets from her again," Harry groaned. His head fell against the wall, and he turned away from Draco, closing his eyes. Seeing him there, laughing at him, in his shiny boxers, was just too much for him.

"She doesn't blame you. She's been keeping secrets from you as well," the Slytherin declared, his laughter dying somewhat. "I think you're the last one to realize her feelings for Weasley. It's disgusting, the things they've done in broom closets." Harry shut his eyes tighter. He knew that, and it still bothered him a little that they had never told him, but he knew by now what was between his two best mates. Draco's voice lowered in volume, and he whispered, almost as if to himself, "Weasley and a Mudblood… It's practically bestiality."

Harry's eyes snapped open. "You take that back, Malfoy," he hissed dangerously.

"It is," Draco said lightly, seemingly oblivious to Harry's violent thoughts. He seemed rather spacey, pulling random thoughts from his head and speaking them as casually as if talking to his reflection. "Most creatures are classified by their physical and magical traits. Muggles and Wizards are officially separate species, but since they're physically compatible, you always see hybrids like Granger running about… It's rather sad." Harry turned to stare at Draco, filled with such a horrible rage upon hearing his friend being called a hybrid that it wouldn't even register on his face. His hands were moving slowly towards Draco's lopsided figure. "But I'm not even a wizard anymore, so I can't talk about Pureblood superiority. Doesn't that make you happy, Harry?"

Harry's hands froze. "What?" he asked blankly.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Draco gasped incredulously, sitting up and giving Harry a stare of his own. "Why I need a cover story when I haven't done anything wrong? How you saved my life by getting hurt in that alley? Why I was even near your house in the first place?"

"No," Harry whispered. So, now Draco was willing to tell him the truth.

The pale boy sighed. "Do you want the sweet and simple explanation, or shall I give you the full story?"

"Give me a History lesson," Harry commanded. The Slytherin sat erect, crossed his legs, and pulled the blanket around him. Despite Harry's shocked squeak, he wrapped a bit of the huge blanket around Harry's thin torso as well.

"It's going to be a long History lesson," Draco whispered, eyes glinting. He pushed Harry's glasses a little high on his nose, to make sure the Gryffindor could see him properly. With a small smirk, he brushed a bit of black hair out of Harry's eyes as well. "So you'd best stay awake. I might take away some house points if you fall asleep on me."

"Just tell the damn story," Harry pleaded.

"Ten thousand points from Gryffindor for interrupting!"

"DRACO…"

"Fine." Draco took a deep breath, shook his blond head, and drifted into the land of his memories. "It actually starts a couple weeks before fifth year ended…"

* * *

CLIFFHANGER! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm so mean... REVIEW! 


	4. Draco's Twisted Life, p1

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Character © JKR**_

_Thanks for reviewing, Escptheshdw835, Vampire Riku, Firefairy42, Ktmb20, Angelitus Litus, Elektra107, Lost Flame, and Kirsti-Lee!_

* * *

**Part 4- The Twisted Life of Draco Malfoy**

_"It actually starts a couple weeks before last school year ended…"_

When Harry realized just how far back this story was going to go, he shifted his legs slightly and pulled the blanket tighter around him. By doing so, he accidentally deprived Draco of his precious boxer-hiding covers. The pale young man hissed slightly, gray eyes furrowing as he snatched the blankets back. "You're already interrupting again! That'll be two million points from Gryffindor!"

"You're not entitled to take away points, and we're not even back at school yet!" Harry groaned. He wished Draco would stop complaining and get on with the explanation, which would clearly take all night. "And stop hogging the blankets, you prat. I'm rather cold." Draco's glare softened, and to Harry's immense surprise, Draco untangled himself from the blankets, wrapping them around Harry. His movements were languid, his expression resigned. Harry's brain froze as he realized Draco was _mothering_ him. "What are you…" Harry began, but then he thought better of it. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I'm indebted to you," Draco said softly. His expression was now unreadable. "It's my fault you're cold. That's a general effect of blood loss." Draco pulled his long, pale legs back, and leaned over the edge of the bunk, to reach down and retrieve Harry's blanket from below. He promptly made himself slightly more decent, wrapping himself up as carefully as a royal gift.

"I don't understand," Harry began desperately. Draco cut him off, with a scowl and a shake of the head. His blond hair fell in his eyes, and he quickly brushed it back in place.

"I know. That's why you need to shut up and let me tell the story."

_Several weeks before the school year ended, things had been relatively normal for me. I went to all my classes and took my final exams. I sat with Crabbe and Goyle, talking about insignificant things like Quidditch and how annoying the GREAT Harry Potter was._

"I don't want to hear about daily life as Draco Malfoy!" Harry spat, interrupting the blond. "I want to know what lead up to-"

"I'm getting there!" Draco snarled, leaning toward Harry. For a moment, his eyes seemed to glisten unnaturally. "I'm just setting the scene. You wanted a story, and a story you'll receive."

_I thought things were absolutely wonderful. Then I got a letter from my father. Yes, he was still in Azkaban, and he wasn't happy about it. He made certain to get that point across. The main topic of this letter was _Harry Bloody Fucking Potter_. Not a request to spy on you, or anything. It was a warning. He claimed that a visitor told him you were plotting something to get me thrown in Azkaban as well. He didn't know what your grand plan was, nor when it would go into action, but he seemed certain that you had one. He wanted me to watch my back, watch my companions for any wavering loyalties, and most importantly, watch out for you._

_He was paranoid. No matter how much respect I had for my father, I could tell. But I did what he told me to. I found that some of the Slytherins weren't as involved with the Dark Lord as I had thought. Still, I saw no reason they should turn against me. I watched you with suspicion, but you never even looked at me. You were doing the same things everybody else was. Eating, or trying to catch up on your studies._

_I got another letter from father, saying that my mother had turned on him and I was not to return to the Malfoy Manor after school ended. I knew that it was going too far, since mother was so far away from him. She was in hiding, so she hadn't sent him any owls, nor visited. There was no reason he should assume she was against him._

"Azkaban messes with people's minds, Draco," Harry said slowly. He had heard the resentment and anger slowly build in the blonde's voice, and he found that he didn't like where this was going. Draco shook his head, gray eyes closed.

"It wasn't just Azkaban. Ever since the Dark Lord's return in fourth year, he'd been acting rather odd. It's only gotten worse with every Death Eater meeting." Harry felt a miniature wave of nausea.

"Voldemort messes with people's minds, too." Draco said nothing, head bowed, not looking at Harry. Harry knew what a difficult subject it was, so he changed it. "Get on with the story."

_Anyway, father sent me the key to our Gringotts vault, instructing me to get some cash and find a new place to live immediately after school ended. What he failed to realize was that I would be homeless while finding a home. I talked to Crabbe and Goyle about letting me stay with them as I found a new place, but they said they couldn't help me. All the other Slytherins said the same._

_I considered asking for help from the professors, but decided against it. I knew I needed help, but I wasn't about to beg a Huffelpuff or a Gryffindor for help, so I turned to Ravenclaw. My first choice was Cho Chang._

"I'll bet that went well," Harry muttered, a huge smirk plastered on his face. Draco grimaced.

_Needless to say, she told me where I could shove it, so I gave up finding help from students. I was still watching my back, in case father was right about you, but it was pointless. I overheard you plotting a raid of the school kitchens, and that seemed to be the most devious thing you had going. That's not devious at all. It made me wonder just how you were such a big threat to the Dark Lord._

_So, I pondered that and decided to do a little bit of spy work. No, I didn't spy on you, I was spying on Dumbledore. I didn't find out anything interesting for about a week, until I broke into his office and looked into his Pensieve._

_I heard the entire prophecy._

"You didn't tell anyone?" Harry asked sharply. His hands had clenched into fists, his knuckles very white. "People have died over that prophecy."

"And some certain people have yet to die over it," Draco answered, staring straight into Harry's green eyes. The smaller boy fidgeted, not liking the reminder of his destiny. Kill Voldemort or be killed… It wasn't a very pleasant prophecy. Harry pulled the blanket tighter around him, to still his shivering. "I may be the son of a Death Eater, but I don't want to cause trouble on that level. I kept what I learned to myself."

"You'd better keep doing so."

"I will."

_That made me re-think my opinion of you. I still watched you whenever I could, but not with suspicion. I was looking for any hidden powers you might have had. I already knew about Parsletongue, but everyone knew about that, and it wasn't much of a power to help you against the Dark Lord. Thanks to what happened to my family, I no longer knew which side of the war to support, and I was interested in finding out who had the upper hand. On the last day of school, I finally made up my mind to talk to you about it, but we didn't have any of the same classes, and I couldn't find you._

_I was absolutely miserable when I got on the train. Nobody wanted to be near me, not even Crabbe and Goyle. I got a car to myself. But I had some unexpected luck- it was the car right next to yours, and with a couple spells I was able to eavesdrop on your conversation with your friends._

_I was somewhat upset about not finding out anything important. You talked about relationships. How you didn't have one. I caught you hinting that Weasley and Granger should hook up, and that gave me a laugh, but I knew they'd end up together anyway. I'd seen it coming since third year. I found it strange that you had no significant other. Then I thought of the prophecy, and it struck me that you were protecting people by not getting too involved with them. I thought that was a really pathetic way to live._

"It would have been very selfish of me to put somebody in danger by being close to me," Harry sighed. He didn't really appreciate the pale boy's commentary on his lack of a love life, especially since Draco had pretended to fill the 'significant other' niche. Draco smirked slightly.

"And that's why you're in Gryffindor, not Slytherin. Your life was predetermined to be fucked up. You could be murdered at any given time, Harry. You deserve to be selfish, just once in your inevitably short life." Harry frowned slightly, looking away from Draco. "Besides, you've gotten people hurt by putting their safety above yours."

Harry's head snapped up.

"Sirius Black might have lived, if you hadn't run off to 'save' him." Harry bit back a snarl and buried his head in the blanket. He didn't want to see the earnest look on Draco's face, and, more importantly, he didn't want Draco to see his eyes watering. There was no hint of malice in the boy, and that made it almost more difficult to listen to him. "You should try life as something other than a hero. No offense, but you're more pathetic than Longbottom in that sense. Just live a little."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to corrupt me," Harry spat.

"But you obviously know better."

"You're trying to make me value other people's lives less!" Harry hissed, drying his tears swiftly on his blanket and unburying his face. He fixed Draco with a glare that could melt through walls, wishing for a split second that he was a basilisk. The pale boy didn't flinch or look away, meeting Harry's gaze more calmly than Dumbledore could ever have. "Have you _ever_ had to-"

"Shall I continue?" Draco interrupted, not wanting to fight Harry so soon. Harry gave Draco a rather defeated look, and nodded slightly.

"I need to know what happened."

"Fifty billion points from Gryffindor, for stating the obvious!"

* * *

REVIEW OR DRACO WILL TAKE MORE HOUSE POINTS!


	5. Draco's Twisted Life, p2

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_Special thanks to Escptheshdw835, Vampire Riku, VampireKat22, Rika-San, Phoegan Leisha, and my dad._

* * *

**Part 5- The Twisted Life of Draco Malfoy, p. 2**

_When I got off of the Hogwarts Express, I didn't really know what to do. All of my companions were leaving with their parents. I just got my stuff and stood there, watching everybody vanish. I watched Granger vanish with her parents. It was actually rather humbling. They were poor, they were Muggles, and they were ugly- but Granger just ran up laughing and hugged them, and I- Merlin, I was jealous because I had never been allowed to do that to my parents in public. I was definitely jealous of the fact that she had parents to pick her up._

_I thought I was the only one that felt like that, but then I saw you. Your Muggle relatives were there, and I only noticed them because the fat teen hit you. You looked as miserable as I felt. I went up to talk to you, but that scrawny woman- your aunt, isn't she? -she gave me this horrid glare, and I got the idea that you'd be punished if I went to speak to you. So I backed down. But I did overhear the word "Surry," so I vaguely knew where you lived._

_After you left, I had nowhere to go, so I picked a random direction and went that way._

"Well, that was stupid," Harry chided. "You should have asked somebody for directions to Diagon Alley before all the magic folk left."

"I realize that now," Draco sighed. He stretched in a rather cat-like way, entwining his hands over his head as he yawned. Harry couldn't help it but notice he almost glowed in the faint moonlight. Unlike Harry, who looked like a scruffy and underfed street urchin with gasoline in his hair (in his own opinion), Draco managed to look elegant, despite his obviously recent downfall. He looked very much like a male veela, with his white skin and hair, and somewhat feminine facial features. Harry had known for quite some time that, if he wasn't such a prick, many Hogwarts girls would have been drooling at his feet. But he'd never bothered to get a good look at him. Now, since the pale boy wore nothing but boxers and a blanket, and there little else to look at, Harry was getting his look.

"Why didn't you?"

"I was too angry to be intelligent. Let me continue."

_As you can guess, I got completely lost. I hated lugging all my belongings behind me like that, since, yes, they were all I really had left. It was quite a shock when night fell and I realized I still didn't have a bed to sleep on. I'd never been in Muggle London before, nor had I been homeless, and the world was a rather frightening place at the time. I ended falling asleep under a road that raised itself in the air above another- what are those things called? Ah, an overpass. I slept under an overpass. I hated the ugly thing when I fell asleep, but I was grateful in the morning, since it was raining and I couldn't charm my belongings to stay dry._

_I had some candy left over from the trolley for breakfast. It stopped raining around noon, and I headed off again. I got lucky. Some old squib recognized me for the Malfoy that I was, and though she made it clear that I was the scum of the earth and should have killed the second I was born, she told me how I could reach a man that would exchange my galleons for Muggle money._

"What did she look like?" Harry interrupted.

"Somewhat like Professor McGonagall in Muggle clothes," Draco shrugged. "She was riding around in a chair with wheels, carrying a sack of cat food." Harry grinned broadly.

"Mrs. Figg went to London about that time to see me when I got off the train. You must have missed her at King's Cross." His face fell slowly. "You must have been one of the last people to see her. She was murdered a couple days after that." Draco snapped out of his bored reverie, giving Harry a worried and somewhat confused look.

"Was she…?"

"She was in the Order of the Phoenix." Harry nodded. "She used to live around here. I would get sent to her house on Dudley's birthdays, because they didn't want me hanging around at his parties… they'd rather I go be miserable with some batty old coot than share cake with their _beloved_ Dinky Duddy-kins."

Draco was silent for a minute. "They hated you that much?" he asked eventually. Harry's look hardened as he focused on Draco's gray eyes.

"They took away my wand the second I got home, saying they hoped Voldemort would find me and kill me as soon as possible. Every year, they've given me hell, starving me and making me do all the work around the house. Until I got my Hogwarts letter, they tried everything to keep me from finding out that I was a wizard." Draco's eyes widened. Harry took a slow, calming breath, but it wasn't enough to keep the tremor out of his voice. "They tried to beat the magic out of me."

There was another minute of silence while Draco took this information in. Harry held as still as a statue, a non-enchanted one anyway, knowing Draco was looking him over with curiosity. He hoped there was a small bit of pity in that glance, but he didn't look up to see. He was certain Draco was scowling, at least inwardly. The first time they met, he had complained to Harry about the idiotic half-bloods that didn't know they were wizards until they received their letters. Harry had always felt stung, knowing that he fit Draco's description of the ideal idiotic half-blood.

Harry didn't have to hold his breath for long.

"Fucking idiots," Draco said after a minute. "Half the time, repressing something only makes it stronger in the end. No wonder you were so confused when we met in Diagon Alley. Shall I go on?" Harry nodded briefly, shaking off his small fit of depression.

_I eventually found the man she spoke of, and got my galleons traded in for Muggle money. I was lucky enough to find a real good man who didn't rip me off. Or, so I assume, because I was no less rich as a Muggle than I was as a wizard. But I was still homeless, and I told him that I needed to find Diagon Alley. He actually didn't know how to get there the Muggle way. But he did tell me where I could find the office of the Ministry of Magic, and I knew that would be helpful, so that's where I went. It took another two days to get there, since I kept losing my way, and I had gone off the route a few times in search of lavatories or restaurants._

"Just as a helpful hint, to make it seem more like we've been dating, you should know that my favorite food is sushi," Draco added playfully. Harry gaped.

"That's my favorite as well," he said dully.

"That spares me the awkwardness of asking you later," Draco laughed brightly. "And now I know what to poison!" Harry glared. "I'm joking, Harry, joking…"

_Continuing on, when I found the Ministry of Magic, I felt rather awkward. The phone booth asked me why I was there, and I hadn't thought it through very well, so I said I was looking for a place to live. I got an identification badge that said "Draco Malfoy, hobo-ness relief."_

Harry burst into peels of laughter, though Draco was clearly not amused. "If you're quite done, I'd like to get on with the story."

"Sure, sure," Harry waved, choking slightly on his laughter. It hurt his chest somewhat Catching his breath, he stared up at Draco, black hair dangling in his eyes as he completed his chuckling. "Hobo-ness relief… I'm going to use that against you, you know. I don't know how, but I will." The pale boy's eye's narrowed dangerously, tinting red for a split second.

"The second anybody hears about that, I'm telling Rita Skeeter about the Prophecy." Harry wisely stopped laughing.

_**Anyway**, as soon as I walked in, I knew I made a mistake. Everyone was looking at me like I was some sort of monster. I tried to ask a few people directions to Diagon Alley, but nobody would talk to me. I ended up going up to the receptionist. She talked to me, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear… She was worse than the old squib. She actually cussed me out in front of everybody, and I could tell they all agreed with her, by the looks on their faces. I tried to calm her down. I was as nice as a stressed-out and insulted Malfoy could possibly be. She eventually screamed out that I was a murderous, evil Death Eater, right when the Aurors left a meeting and were heading out for lunch. I ended up having to drop all my belongings and run for my life. All the Quidditch training obviously paid off, since I managed to dodge almost all their curses._

_When I finally got out of there, I went as far as my legs could take me. That wasn't all that far, considering that a curse nailed my left knee, and it didn't want to support my weight. I hadn't the foggiest idea which way I had gone. If I hadn't felt wretched before, I was feeling wretched then. I'd left my wand and my money behind, as well as the key to my vault, and I doubted they'd have to courtesy to save my stuff for me. I never did own an owl, so couldn't contact my father. For once, I really had nothing to my name._

"What about your house?" Harry asked softly. His eyes had become rather glazed as he mulled over Draco's former situation. "You might have been told to avoid it, but don't you still own it?"

"I'll get there in a few minutes, Harry," Draco said, with a very obvious scowl.

_I ended up falling asleep behind some old dumpster. When I woke up the next morning, I was ravenous. Knowing I couldn't get any food, sadly, made me feel even hungrier. I knew I couldn't sink much lower, so I got up and decided I was going to steal something to eat. I hadn't gone very far when I found the first Wanted poster. I had a 200 galleon price tag on my head, and I hadn't even done anything. Since this was Muggle London, they chose an appropriate excuse for me being wanted- murder. I know how the system works, and when they put up wanted posters for a person, they take away all their assets. I figured they had taken the Malfoy Manor and sent all the elves away. I found out later that they really had done that, but I'll get there some other time._

_Now, all that really pissed me off, but my stomach came first. I ambled about in search of an open window or a child with a sandwich. At the first place I found, I'd tripped on my way through the window, and landed face-first in the house owner's sink. They had left their dishes half-washed, so I broke a lot of cups, and it made a fair racket. I was halfway back out when I got caught._

_I was lucky to not be killed. I was even luckier to find that the woman of the house had only just gotten out of school, and was so desperate for a housemate that she took me in. She didn't recognize me, so I introduced myself as Harry Potter and she didn't think anything of it. The very next day, I got a job as a waiter at a nearby Japanese restaurant._

"Wait, you used _my_ name?"

"It was the first name to come to mind," Draco defended himself. "It's also a rather common name. Haven't you used a fake name before?"

"Once," Harry said slowly. He couldn't help it but smirk at the memory. "I told Stan Shunpike on the Knight Bus that my name was Neville Longbottom."

Draco didn't stop laughing for ten minutes.

* * *

If you do not review my story, Draco will steal your identity. 


	6. Tweaked Explanations

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you, Firefairy42, Kirsti-Lee, Rika-San, Rheniel, and Escptheshdw835! As for Opal, you've made a good point. I didn't think of it, but hey, Draco managed to get a job. Don't ak. Maybe the owner of that Japanese restaurant is a complete moron and hired him on spot because he looked yummier than the food.

* * *

**Part 6- Tweaked Explanations**

The story had temporarily been put on hold, since the sun was rising and Draco needed his rest. "After all, I did carry you all the way from Surrey to London," he proclaimed. "I wasn't lying about that part." It made Harry wonder just how honest Draco was, but he was certain there hadn't even been much _exaggeration_ in Draco's tale. Most of the things Draco said had fit Harry's experience so well, they couldn't have been made up. "I sleep like the dead," Draco informed him, "so, as long as you don't make enough noise to wake the dead, it won't bother me. But do keep the curtains shut. I don't want to wake up with my skin red and peeling off." That was an odd request, but Harry didn't open the curtain. Though he had been up half the night, Harry felt wide awake.

So, Harry got himself dressed. Since his things were still with the Dursleys- assuming they hadn't burned Harry's belongings by now- he made do with the folded clothes he found in the dresser, with 'for Harry, from Hermione and Ron' written on a card that lie on top. The price tags hadn't been removed, and he smiled as he realized they were the cheapest things that could be found in Madam Malkin's Robe Shop. They were actually a lot better than the huge hand-me-down things he'd been wearing when he found Draco: black slacks, a somewhat tight green shirt, and a black robe with green cuffs.

Harry soon went downstairs for breakfast. His legs were still rather wobbly, but he managed to stay upright. Of course, that was until Ron barreled up to him and gave him a hug nearly as bone-crushing as Hagrid's most enthusiastic glomps. "Harry! You're okay! Hermione wouldn't let me come see you- you idiot, why didn't you tell us you were in trouble- Harry, you lousy, useless IDIOT!" The relieved redhead proceeded to sob on Harry's shoulder, oblivious to the raven-haired boy's attempts to begin breathing again.

A few minutes (and some artificial respiration) later, Harry received another hug from Charlie, who was taking care of Ron after the murder of their parents. Charlie had changed a bit since Harry last saw him; he now rivaled Bill's _coolness_, sporting Muggle attire that would have blended in a rave. He too had a fang earring and had grown his fiery red hair longer, but his hair was shorter than Bill's, and his fang was larger. Harry assumed it came from one of the dragons Charlie worked with. He hoped it wasn't poisonous.

"That outfit looks good on you, mate," Ron said, after he'd stopped having seizures in his delight. "You look like a real wizard, instead of…" He trailed off, realizing Hermione and Charlie were giving him blatant warning glares.

"An elephant?" Harry submitted helpfully.

"Well, yeah! I guess having stuff in your own size helps out, doesn't it?" Laughter came from all around the table as they ate the famously inferior Leaky Cauldron pancakes, with some of the other guests. They went on to chat idly, mentioning nothing important. This was mostly because the important things were matters of utmost secrecy, but partly because they were happy about being reunited.

"Is Draco ever going to come down?" Hermione eventually asked. Harry shrugged. "It's a pity. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a shopping trip, after all he's been through." She looked substantially disheartened. Harry figured that she must be extremely grateful to Draco for rescuing him. Of course, Draco was the one that _attacked_ him, but Harry still couldn't understand what happened. He didn't know why Draco needed that cover story, but he assumed it was important. He had decided to play along with Draco's story until he knew the truth.

"I don't think he wants to walk any more," Harry muttered. Hermione looked miffed, but Ron defended Harry's stance immediately.

"He's a lot better for wear than I'd be in his ratty old shoes! I'd sleep for a week, if I carried somebody all that way! Besides, I bet him and Harry got loads of exercise last night," Ron said obliviously. Charlie snorted in amusement, almost choking on his bacon. Harry dropped his knife in a puddle of syrup, completely aghast.

"_Hermione!_" he squawked indignantly. She blushed and gave him a rather apologetic look. Harry sputtered helplessly for a minute before finally saying, "you've all got it wrong. We didn't, we've never-"

"I know," Hermione said pleasantly. "Neither of you can get hold of protection right now, and you're both far too wise to go all the way without it. **Right?**" This last word as added in a rather dangerous tone. Harry gulped loudly, and nodded. "See, Ron? I told you they were having some private time, not doing anything obscene!" Ron flushed bight red, starting with his ears.

"Well, with all the noises getting through the walls, I just assumed things," he sighed. It was Harry's turn to blush, now feeling stupid for all the laughing and snarling he and Draco had done while talking. He really wished they'd change the subject. It was Charlie who came to his rescue.

"So, who wants the happy task of liberating Harry's stuff from the Dursleys?" Charlie asked loudly, and a bit too brightly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at him in surprise. A bit of egg fell out of Ron's open mouth. "No, Harry, you're staying away from those monsters. I'd like a little company when I pay them a visit," Charlie said, over-enunciating every syllable. Hermione and Ron took the hint, and claimed they'd do anything to help Harry, but he could hear the clear resentment in their voices.

He was also filled with dread. If they went to the Dursleys, they'd probably find out that his relatives hadn't made an attempt at Harry's life, and Draco's cover story would be ruined. "Actually," Harry cut in, "I want to go. You know, my stuff can wait a few days, and I want a break." He hoped they bought it. "Besides, some of my stuff is hidden. There's a small stash under some floorboards, and I still don't know where Vernon hid my wand." That certainly did the trick. They all nodded. "So, what's on today's schedule?"

"Well, first is the fattening up of Harry Potter," Hermione said pointedly, raking her eyes over Harry's rake-like figure. "Whom is going to eat everything on his plate, and get seconds, before anybody says another word to him." Harry tried to scowl, but he ended up smiling. Everybody was mothering him! Hermione made the others keep her promise, cutting them off whenever they tried to make auditory contact with Harry. He didn't mind eating a lot, though.

When he finished his orange juice and loaded his plate with more pancakes, he asked for the schedule once more. It turned out that they were going to do their school shopping early, and after the 'recent turn of events,' Hermione and Ron planned on staying in London with Harry for the remainder of August, rather than going back into hiding. "Besides, we've got a Death Eater's kid on our side!" Ron said brightly, earning himself a playful smack from Hermione. This was accompanied by a peck on the cheek. Harry grinned.

"He'd be too sleepy to be much help to us, if his dad decided to walk out of Azkaban and curse us to bits," Harry assured them. It wasn't a very funny joke, but they laughed anyway. "He sleeps like he's dead." They decided to return after shopping and check if Draco was awake enough to get sushi for lunch and ice-cream at the new sweet shop. This was Harry's recommendation.

Soon enough, the famed Gryffindor Trio and Charlie were heading out the door. As they entered Diagon Alley, Hermione started up a conversation with Charlie about the different dragon breeds. The subject got rather dull for Harry, rather fast, so he fell back to blabber with Ron. As they entered Flourish and Blotts, Ron asked a fatal question. "So, err, Harry… how long have you been into blokes?" Harry only stared at him, having no answer at all.

* * *

I'm perfectly aware that this chapter sucked. Too happy. No plot. But please review it anyway, or... or... or I won't get to read your beautiful reviews! DRACO WILL STOP TAKING HOUSE POINTS!


	7. Pulling their Legs

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you, people that reviewed! You are growing too numberous to list! Well, without being annoying. I guess a couple questions need answered.

Ura-hd... The people at the Ministry of Magic were ticked off at the Malfoys because of Lucius. They assumed Draco was going the same way his father did.

Kakisensei... You stole my idea, and therefore, I have to come up with a new one.

Animelover... Seeing as Harry and Draco are pretending they're a couple, YES, IT'S SLASH.

YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD? THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH! Don't like it? Don't read it.

* * *

**Part 7- Pulling Their Legs**

Harry slammed his books down on the bunk, a few inches from Draco's head. "Wake up!" Harry yelled. The blond didn't bat an eyelid. Harry hissed a few choice obscenities, giving the pale boy a few gentle slaps on the cheek, but he remained motionless. Harry had been trying for the last ten minutes to rouse his roommate, and with nothing to show for it. Draco hadn't been lying when he claimed he slept like the dead. Voldemort's full-body resurrection took much less time than this, and Harry would rather get his arm sliced open again than spend another ten minutes testing methods of bringing Draco back to the land of the living.

After another few minutes of irritation and abuse of Draco's exposed body parts, Harry stomped to Charlie and Ron's room, grabbed Charlie by the arm without a word, and dragged the confused man into room 4. Harry simply put Charlie's wand in his hand and pointed at the sleeping blond.

"I think he needs to be Ennervated," Harry stated.

"He's just asleep," Charlie said in confusion.

"He sleeps like he's dead. Just do it." Charlie cocked a eyebrow, and pointed his wand at the completely detached Draco.

"Ennervate!" Nothing happened. They both stared at Draco's sleeping form for a few seconds. "Well, I tried," Charlie said apologetically. His shoulder-length red hair swayed as she shook his head, a small smile fixed in place. "Good luck with Sleeping Beauty. Have you tried kissing him yet?" Harry blushed as a laughing Charlie retreated from the room. But once the door shut, Harry was once again faced with this problem.

He began to get a little worried. Nobody could sleep through all that, yet Draco remained as limp as a dead fish on the bed, completely stationary with the exception of breathing. His face was buried in a pillow. It hit Harry that Draco might only be pretending. "If you don't open your eyes, I'll practice using the Cruciatus on you," he hissed in the pale young man's ear. He wouldn't really do it, but he hoped Draco didn't know that. He got no reaction. "No? How about the Imperius? I bet, if you lie still long enough, I'll figure out how it works. Then I'll get to see you dance around in a ferret costume, singing 'It's Raining Men'." Still no reaction. Harry was definitely mad now. "Do you prefer _Avada Kedavra_?"

Not a sign of life. Harry prodded the side of Draco's head, thoroughly annoyed. He dumped a cup of ice water on Draco… nothing. Tickled him… nothing. Knocked loudly on his head… nothing. He didn't feel like testing Charlie's kiss idea. Feeling defeated, Harry retreated to the window, flinging open the curtains to welcome in the sun.

The curtains had been open only a split second before a bloodcurdling shriek rattled off the walls. For a moment, Harry thought it was a banshee's wail, it was so horrible. Then he realized it came from behind him; from Draco, who had buried himself under the covers. "Shut the curtains! **Shut the curtains!**" Draco screamed. Harry immediately obliged, though he was still somewhat rattled by the noise. Room 4 was plunged into darkness. The blankets were trembling violently.

"Draco… what the hell?" Harry asked, finding no other way to get his point across. That was just too weird!

"I told you not to open the curtains," Draco's voice hissed. Though Harry could see the origin of the voice quite clearly, it sounded rather disembodied, like Riddle's basilisk in second year. "Now do you see why?"

"Well, I get that the light upset you," Harry said softly. "But I don't see how, or why." He knelt beside Draco's quivering heap of blankets, feeling strangely obliged to do so, as an act of comfort.

"You're so incredibly stupid," Draco whispered. Harry barely heard him. "You wouldn't know the truth if it danced in front of you naked."

"I try not to be affiliated with those that dance naked in front of people," Harry joked, pretending he hadn't been insulted. "Since you're awake now, would you care to get lunch and ice-cream with-"

"No. You can fatten yourself up without me." Harry's face fell. He had actually hoped Draco would be willing to spend a bit of time with him and his friends. After all, they were clearly on the same side, whatever side that was, and circumstance had jammed them together in a small magical alley. Perhaps a little reminder of Draco's cover story would convince him?

"Now, _Drake_," Harry cooed softly, near where he assumed Draco's head was amongst the fluff. He tried to make his voice sound somewhat girly, and fill it with enough sarcasm for Draco to realize he was hinting at something. "What if I want to treat my sweet _boyfriend_ to lunch? You're killing what little romance we had going! Hermione will get mad at you for avoiding me!"

"You may cheat on me with Weasley, darling," Draco growled, in a voice that begged for solitude. "His lover of another species is welcome to join in and make it a threesome. Just don't give me any of the details, and I promise our breakup won't be too painful." Harry scowled openly.

"You're not doing a very good job acting your part," he warned. "Ron and Hermione aren't stupid. Well, maybe Ron can be a bit stupid at times, but not Hermione. If she catches one hint that we're not a match from heaven, she'll be onto you like a fly on shit, even if I still don't get what's going on." Draco held still for a moment.

"I know. And that's why you're going to pretend I'm still asleep."

"Wha-"

"Harry, are you ready to go yet?" Hermione called from outside the door. Wondering how Draco knew she was out there, Harry sighed and headed out the door. Hermione was on the other side, "Is Draco ready?"

"I couldn't wake him up," Harry sighed. It wasn't entirely a lie; the sun had woken him up, not Harry. "I think he should be left here to rest. We can save him some leftovers." Hermione nodded. She was looking rather pretty today, wearing her new pink robe. Strangely, it looked good on her. Harry hadn't been able to imagine anybody looking good in pink, after a year with Dolores Umbridge.

"Oy, all ready?" Ron asked, as he paraded his way into their midst.

"Almost. Isn't Draco up yet?" Charlie demanded, hopping out of his room while still trying to force his foot into a dragon hide boot. Harry told him the same thing he told Hermione, and Charlie gave Harry another look of ultimate confusion. "That's funny, I thought I heard his voice a minute ago…" The scream. D'oh! "You at least tried the kissing thing?"

"Draco doesn't really like kisses much," Harry sputtered, feeling his cheeks begin to burn again. Then, like in most people's cases, inspiration struck him while he was in dire need. "I know something that would wake him up, but unless you're willing to wait another hour for lunch…"

Ron blanched, then tried to hide his revulsion through humorously pretended to puke. Hermione had a look on her face that clearly stated she wanted to laugh, but had a moral issue with doing so. Charlie cracked up. "Just go smooch him already! I want to laugh at the corniness when he wakes up."

"I think I'd like to laugh about that, too," Hermione giggled. Harry felt rather trapped, not particularly enjoying the sudden pressure to kiss Draco. He wasn't really afraid of kissing the Slytherin; rather, he was worried Draco would snap his neck for it. Assuming he didn't hang himself before then. Until that point, Harry hadn't bothered to consider the _closeness_ that was to be expected from a couple as _intimate_ as himself and Draco.

"Go on, Harry!" Charlie nudged him back into the room. Ron threw his arms in the air, said something that made no sense whatsoever, thought it was a good excuse, and excused himself from witnessing. Despite his nervousness, Harry managed to laugh at that. He was surprised Ron had taken his new 'relationship' so well. There were bound to be a few awkward areas for Ron, and one of them was apparently kissing.

Though Harry felt a strong sense of impending doom, he kept his walk cheerful as he went over to Draco. The blond had un-buried himself from the gray blankets, and for some reason, moved to the bottom bunk. That would make a corny kiss easier, but Harry wished he didn't have to do it at all. For a minute, the small young man knelt beside the blond, hesitating. He couldn't tell whether nor not Draco was still awake. He might have fallen back asleep, and Harry had no way to tell.

Harry took a deep breath, leaned forward and gave Draco a quick peck on the lips. _Done!_ Harry thought victoriously.

How far from the truth he was.

As Harry leaned back up, Draco's left arm shot up behind him, promptly grabbing Harry's hair and pulling him back down. Harry let out a small, shocked squeak as the blond below him leaned up and captured his lips in a rather hungry way. Harry was far too surprised to react. Thankfully, Draco released him after several seconds. Harry was paralyzed.

Charlie was laughing hysterically. "I think he's the one that woke _you_ up!" Hermione nodded, giggling out of control.

"That kiss was pathetic," Draco whispered to Harry, his eyes glittering playfully. "You're going to have to do better than that, oh _love of my life_." Harry sputtered and said nothing. He didn't know what to think. Not thinking was an appealing option.

"So, Draco, are you going to go out for sushi with us?" Charlie chuckled. Harry shook his head and sat on the floor, determined not to think, and failing a bit. Where had the Slytherin learned to kiss like that!

"I don't think so," Draco said lightly. "I'm not hungry at all. Just tired. You would be tired, too, if Harry put you through what he did to me…" Harry squawked and bit his tongue. Draco was _really_ hamming up their fake relationship. As it was, Harry couldn't imagine himself doing anything at all to his pale roommate- but he could certainly imagine Draco forcing actions out of him, like he'd just done. Hermione only giggled louder as Harry flushed crimson.

"We've been trying to get you up for the longest time!" Charlie protested. "All that work, gone to waste?"

"Sorry," Draco yawned. He didn't sound sorry at all. "It might save you a bit of money if I don't go, too. Confront me with sushi, and even if I'm full, I can't stop eating until I've doubled in size." Harry smirked, knowing that he would do the same. Charlie surrendered. He and Hermione left, leaving Harry alone with Draco for a minute. Harry felt rather uncomfortable about this. "What's wrong, Harry?" The blond asked, after a moment. "Scared?"

"Of you? For once, _yes_! Seeing as you've taken control of my friends opinions of me, and all." The blond rolled his eyes and yawned again. He appeared genuinely exhausted.

"I had to give them a reason," Draco explained softly. "I had wanted posters up everywhere. Everybody thought I was a Death Eater. How would they react, if they saw me carrying an unconscious Harry Potter? I had to claim I rescued you from some ill fate. Your friends couldn't think of any reason why I should do so, so I said the first thing I could think of- that I had to save my boyfriend…"

"So, it's just an excuse?" Harry wrinkled his nose. "You needed an _excuse_ to have saved me?"

"In case you haven't noticed, everybody HATED me at the time," the blond mumbled. Harry could tell he was falling asleep as he spoke. "They thought I was lying to cover my ass…"

"But you _were_ lying to cover your ass," Harry informed him. "Why did you attack me, anyway? And _how_?"

Draco didn't answer. He had fallen asleep. Harry groaned, made sure his shoes were tied, and went out to lunch with his friends.

* * *

Review or Draco will never kiss Harry again... nevermind, I bet some of you don't like them. 


	8. Twisted Twinkies

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

**_WARNING: THIS IS A LOOOOOONG CHAPTER!_**

Thank you, reviewers! I LOVE YOU ALL really, I do. Some of you need to be specifically adressed.

Rika-san! Thank you for the cookie!

Ura-hd... You are right. nods

_Chibi_... Just you wait. JUST YOU WAIT.

Firefairy42... I think this chapter will answer your question. Draco so completely has the pants, and Harry has the yummy kawaii little sushi costume. Mmmm, sushi Harry.

Kakisensei! I am greatful to you for saying what you thought! Simply said, if the storyline is too obvious, I need to change it! ;; don't wanna be as predictable as a Disney ending.

Tash- Yes master. More slash. bows and kisses boots

* * *

**Part 8- Twisted Twinkies**

After lunch and ice-cream, Harry had come back to room 4 in the Leaky Cauldron, only to find Draco still out for the count. Hermione and Ron had retired to their room, claiming they had some bickering to catch up on. Harry knew perfectly well that wasn't what they were set out to do. Charlie was still at the ice-cream parlor, chatting it up with a young black woman that had violently green hair. Harry was alone. Bored, and alone. He stood in the middle of room 4 for a minute, looking around. Neither he, nor Draco, had anything at all that could be entertaining. With nothing else to do, Harry took the top bunk and a long a nap.

Harry's dreams were strange. He was running on a long street, carrying a bag of groceries. It was so dark that the buildings around him couldn't be seen. There was a dark shape following him, laughing like a maniac. It was gliding like a Dementor, or perhaps like a Lethifold. Despite how fast Harry was, the laughing shadow caught up to him. "What's wrong, Harry? Scared?" the shadow laughed, kissing him. Harry stared as the shadow removed a hood, revealing itself to be Draco. Something was very wrong about him; his eyes were massive and red, and he had far too many teeth. "Shall I continue the story now?"

"Huh?" Harry asked, opening his eyes.

"Shall I continue the story now?" Draco asked politely, as he stopped shaking Harry's shoulder. Harry took on his surroundings slowly. He was on the top bunk in room 4, the door was locked, and the curtain was open, revealing a cloudy night sky. He was sitting up on the top bunk, and Draco was knelt on top of him, having just been shaking him to wakefulness. His eyes were gray, and his teeth normal. It was just a dream.

Draco was wearing an outfit Harry had never seen before; a tight black muscle shirt with a white snake on the chest, tight black jeans, and a fancy black cloak with slits running in the shoulders to show his death-white skin as well as ripped-off sleeves instead of cuffs. He had earrings with skulls dangling off them- Harry never knew the Slytherin to have pierced ears- and silver snake bracelets with great huge rubies on them. For a fleeting moment, Harry thought he looked perfect for the role of "Satan's Man-Bitch."

"Where did you get that get-up?" Harry greeted him. "And since when were you nocturnal?"

"Since about three weeks ago," Draco said grimly, dodging the first question. He frowned, looking over Harry. The raven-haired Gryffindor looked like a hobo compared to the creature above him; tousled black hair, glasses sideways since he forgot to remove them before sleeping, and his new clothes were wrinkled from being slept in. "Do you get it yet?"

"Get what?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Never mind…" Smiling, Draco pulled Harry into a sitting position, despite the squeak of protest. "If you want to know what happened, put your shoes on. We're going out."

Half an hour later, Harry and Draco were at a very quiet little bar. The place had a purple and green color scheme, organized so horribly that Harry felt dizzy and nauseous as he looked around the dark room. There were only about five other people here, and they all kept to themselves. The place was full of smoke, which almost masked the scent of alcohol. Harry found it very unpleasant, and he didn't like the way the woman on the far end of the counter was looking at him. How Draco managed to convince the bartender that Harry was old enough to drink was beyond him; all Draco had done was look the man in the eyes, say "trust me," and the man did so.

They bought two of the cheapest beers available, and went to the table farthest from the other bar-goers. This tiny table in the corner was right below a massive stuffed moose head, which Draco eyed with distaste but did not mention. "Can you tell me more yet?" Harry demanded dully, as he yawned and took a small sip of his drink. Butterbeer put this swill to shame. Harry found the flavor absolutely disgusting.

"Fine, fine," the pale blond nodded, setting his drink down without a taste of it. "Where did I leave off?"

"You'd been taken in by the Muggle graduate," Harry recapped, "and you'd gotten a job as a waiter. How did you do that, anyway? Don't most businesses at _least_ require an ID from people they hire?"

"The restaurant owner actually begged me to work for him," Draco snickered. "His last waitress quit the moment I walked into the place, and I looked like a good waiter to poor Mr. Ichinomiya." The blond slowly picked up where he left off..

_I did rather well as a waiter, actually. Since my father had been training me for years how to become the perfect Death Eater, I knew how to kiss people's asses without seeming undignified. I don't think he figured I'd use that knowledge to be a waiter, but it worked well. A whole month passed without much of anything happening. I got a decent wad of money from that first month of working, and I was getting familiar with a lot of Muggle things. I'd had to tell Becky- my housemate- that I had grown up with some backwoods brainwashing cult, so I didn't know much about how the world really worked, and that got me out of a few messes where I slipped up about magic. That was also my explanation for running around homeless, in wizard clothing. I helped pay rent and I didn't eat much, so things worked out rather well._

_I did miss mother, and I was sure father was mad at me for becoming a wanted wizard. Becky noticed me moping a bit, so she introduced me to this bar. After that month, we had the fortune of having some leftover cash. She'd already taken me to this place a fair few times, so we needed a new way to celebrate. She took me to a nightclub._

"And that's where you fell to darkness, and became a denizen of the night?" Harry laughed, hoping there was significant about this nightclub. Draco glared at him, eyes flashing malignantly.

"Yes, actually. _Do you get it now?_"

"Get what?"

"You IDIOT!" Draco snarled. He grabbed his beer, leaned over, and blatantly poured it over Harry's head.

"Hey!" the Gryffindor protested loudly, knocking Draco away from him as he stood and glared at his dripping arms. The beer rendered his green shirt transparent. His sopping wet hair fell limp over his glasses, which, thankfully, still repelled liquids since Hermione's Impervious spell some years earlier. "What the hell was that for!"

"For being a fucking moron," Draco replied calmly, as he handed Harry a napkin holder. Harry growled lowly, as he began to dry himself off, trying to ignore the amused looks he received from the bartender. Draco went on with his tale.

_In that club, I met a very pretty woman. Very, very pretty. She seemed interested in me, so I flirted with her, with no shame at all. It's the dumbest thing I'd ever done._

"Aside from walking out of King's Cross without directions?"

"Shut up!"

_It turned out that she wasn't a woman at all._

Harry burst out laughing, banging his dripping head repeatedly against the table. He ignored Draco's acidic glare. "You were hitting on a…" Harry chortled. The ruffled Slytherin lost his composure for a moment. His pale fingers whipped forward, ensnaring Harry's soggy mop of black hair and tugging him violently forward. Harry yelped in pain and shock, somewhat alarmed to find his face two inches away from Draco's. His gray eyes seemed glazed over and covered with some glowing silver film. Harry had been dragged across the table by the enraged blond, who quickly glared at the other people in the bar, as if daring them to stop him, before turning back to Harry.

"It's not what you think. While she was indeed female, she wasn't human," the pale blond hissed under his breath. "Does the word _vampire_ ring a bell?"

Harry's body froze as his mind tried to suck this in. Vampire, vampire, vampire- Draco hitting on a vampire. Draco sleeping all day, shrieking in pain from sunlight. Draco being pale with red eyes and ripped clothes. Draco attacking him in the alley after Harry offered to feed him. Draco hitting on a vampire? Draco being a vampire. Vampire, vampire, vampire. Dracula, Nosferatu, Kyuuketsuki. Drac**ula**, Drac**o**. Vampire.

"I thought it would," Draco whispered, as he watched Harry's eyes widen. "You must feel like a right fool, now. I've thrown so many hints at you. If your head were any thicker, one might mistake it for a wall." The pale fingers untangled themselves from Harry's hair, letting the small young man sink down into his chair, shocked beyond reason. Draco smirked at his paralysis. "Need any help with that beer, Harry?" Harry blinked a couple times, numbly reaching for his beer and taking a tentative sip. "There's a good boy." Draco took his seat again and waved at the bartender, who had been watching them with a troubled expression.

"Yes, I suppose you have thrown a lot of hints at me," Harry mumbled. He began to feel a bit ashamed of his ignorance.

"Damn right, I have! Too many!"

"It's just too hard to imagine you as anything but a… pureblood wizard," Harry sighed apologetically. "But I suppose it doesn't matter, really. I've had inhuman friends before. Werewolves, half-giants, centaurs… You may be an asshole, but you're not all that dangerous. You've always been out to suck the lifeblood from those below you. It's just a little bit more literal now." The blond smirked, not disagreeing with Harry.

"I'm just lucky Granger hasn't figured it out. She would kill me for it. Slowly… and creatively." Harry slowly nodded. No matter how kind and forgiving Hermione was, she'd kill Draco is she found out he'd attacked Harry and been lying the whole time. "Shall I go on with the story?" The Gryffindor nodded.

_To make a long story short, the vampire separated me from Becky and turned me vampiric in the alley behind the club. I don't see why she did it. She just said I was cute, murdered me, gave me her business card, and walked off singing. It was pretty damn strange to watch my murderer walk away singing. I don't think this is important in any way, but it was the Sailor Moon theme song she was singing…_

_Anyway, after being turned, I just kind of stayed there for the rest of the night. I looked pretty strange, since she ripped up all my clothes and got me rather bloodied up. I was scared of the way everything felt around me. I even screamed like a little girl when a cat walked into the alley, because I could her little heart beating, and it scared the crap out me. It ended up scaring the crap out of the hungry little kitty, but I bet she found a fish in some other dumpster._

"Is your memory a lot clearer for things that happened after being… turned?" Harry asked slowly, taking another sip of his disgusting beer. He now understood why Draco had bothered to get it for him. He needed something to calm him. The blond nodded. "That's good, I guess… Depending on what you've got to remember." Draco nodded again, a bit more grimly. "So, what did you do?"

_I didn't do anything until it was almost dawn. I figured that there'd be no point in sitting around sulking until the sun fried me. I knew I couldn't go back to Becky, so I spent that first day hiding in a stranger's basement. It reeked in there- something was water leaking all over their boxes of old clothes, so the mold really bothered my nose. Anyway, I hadn't been able to sleep that day, so I waited until everyone left the house and washed my clothes. I was so grateful to Becky for teaching me how to use a washer and dryer._

_I had that whole day to mull over my situation, which was worse than ever before. Yes, I did moan and groan about not being a pureblood wizard. I figured my father and mother would kill me when they heard about it. There were still wanted posters all over the place. I made up my mind to let somebody capture me, since I didn't want to risk turning myself in at the ministry and getting hexed to pieces._

"You wanted to get caught?" Harry whispered. "_Why?_"

"I had nothing else to do," Draco said softly. "I could have done the same thing my mistress- did… Go to a different night club every evening, find some poor victim to kill, and steal his house the next day before moving on. I didn't want to go on like that, though. I knew that the magical world had programs to help those that are turned. I also knew for a fact that the vampiric community had recently told the Dark Lord where he could shove his peace offerings. I thought that, surely, they would have to remove their charges of me being a Death eater if I were brought in."

"Oh… Go on," Harry urged.

_I stayed very close to the entrance to the Ministry, since that's the most likely place for me to find a witch or wizard. It actually took several days until somebody recognized me. He called some Aurors on me. Though I just stood there and let them incapacitate me, they were very rude about it, and I got a few undeserved kicks and hexes. They'd decided I was too dangerous to leave conscious, so they knocked me out. Stupid pricks._

_When I woke up, I was in Azkaban._

"What?" Harry asked sharply. "No trial or anything?"

"We're at _war_, Mr. Harry Potter," the blond laughed bitterly. "It's like things were before that fateful Halloween, when your cute little baby self kicked the Dark Lord's sorry ass. Fudge throws anybody he deems dangerous in Azkaban, and only the lucky ones get a trial. Since I was found to be a vampire, they assumed the vampire community was lying about their anti-Dark Lord position in the matter. Thanks to me, suspicion was laid on all the other vampires. I got a lot of hate mail in Azkaban, even from my mistress. She was quite ashamed to have turned me."

_The worst of it was, I was in the cell right next to my father. Fudge had gotten rid of the Dementors, but the place was miserable enough without them, and my father was raving mad. He tried to talk to me through the bars. He insisted that he was proud of me for joining the Dark Lord, until I said I was a vampire and I wouldn't join Him if he paid me in beautiful women._

_He flipped. He just screamed over and over that I wasn't his prodigal son. I think he told me to get raped by a Bogart. I'm sure the guards put me next to him as a punishment. He just kept ranting for a few days. That made it rather hard to sleep. For the good of my own sanity, I convinced myself that he was absolutely insane and he wasn't my father anymore. Not by ties of love, nor by blood. Just a raving lunatic that hated me for unjust reasons. My mistress was my new blood-relation, and she slowly came to forgive me through the owls we sent back and forth. She was probably the only one that believed I didn't support the Dark Lord._

_There was only one good thing about Azkaban; they kept me fed. There was one other area in which I got lucky. I would get a trial after being in there for a week. It was annoying, but I could stand a week in that hell hole. My mistress sent me a small pewter snake necklace, saying it was for good luck. She said, if I wasn't granted freedom, she'd visit me in Azkaban every once in a while. My trial date was July 23rd. Right before I was escorted to the courtrooms, my father screamed out that, as soon as he got his hands on the necessary documents, he would disown me. I didn't think he meant it, but I didn't really care at the time. I was too busy keeping myself calm._

_They kept me blinded while leading me away from Azkaban. I think the trip from Azkaban to the Ministry lasted a few hours. I was chained onto a broom they were guiding behind them. They kept spinning me in circles to make sure I was awake. It was really annoying. The air smelled like rotting grass. I haven't got a clue what places we flew over._

_They let me see again when we arrived at the courtroom. It was the big room with the chair- I think you know what I'm talking about. They locked me into it. I was feeling somewhat doomed, but I was calm, since I figured there was very little more they could do to make me suffer. I really was innocent._

_Right before the court was called to session, I decided to hold the good luck necklace my mistress sent me. When I touched it, I felt that nasty tug at my stomach, and the world spun a few circles, and then I was in a small apartment._

"Huh?" Harry mumbled, confused. His eyelids had began to droop. Though he was completely engrossed by Draco's tale, he was still exhausted from the previous couple days.

"A Portkey, Harry," the blond sighed. "The necklace was really a Portkey. My mistress had no faith in me whatsoever, so she decided to 'rescue' me from the Ministry, by sending me an inactive Portkey that would take me to her current residence once I was in the courtroom."

Harry took another sip of his beer, keeping his eyes trained on Draco. By this time, they were the only ones left in the bar, save the bartender, who had politely decided to listen to his CD player while cleaning mugs rather than eavesdrop.

_The story is short and simple from there on. My mistress thought she had done me a great service, but as it turns out, it had only made the price on my head increase. I got very angry with her, and decided to walk away and leave her without figuring out the address she was staying at. I'd been on my own another day before figuring out that I needed help controlling the strange powers I'd been given. I was getting hungry and I didn't want to hurt anybody. I would have gone back to my mistress, but I didn't know where she was, and she never sent me any post. I was lost for a couple days._

_As it turns out, I was in Surrey. When I discovered this, it brought you back into my mind. I knew you'd been friends with people of different species. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it was to find you. I figured that, if I could just talk to you and convince you that I was innocent, you might have been able to help me get cleared with the Ministry. I came to the conclusion that, if you couldn't help me, nobody could. So I set out to find you, though I didn't know where in Surrey you were._

_I'd gotten very sick from starvation. I spent a few nights wandering Surrey, getting hungrier and hungrier. I still hadn't found you, obviously. I found another wanted poster with my face on it. The price on my head had doubled, and my name was now listed as simply "Draco" instead of "Draco Malfoy". I knew I'd been officially disowned. That was pretty damn depressing._

_The night after, when I woke up in an alley where I'd been sleeping in a trash can, my whole body felt like it was burning- it was the hunger. I absolutely refused to hurt some random Muggle. Doesn't that show how much I'd changed? If I were the same Draco I was when I left school, I would have stuffed my face on every Muggle I crossed paths with. But I know now that having a wand to wave in circles doesn't make you any more important than anybody else. Anyway, I was so hungry that I wanted to kill myself. I'd woken up crying and shaking because of it. I had plenty of reasons to do commit suicide by then, and it was either me dying or the next person I laid eyes on._

_I grabbed one of the chopsticks I found in the trash can, and I was going to stake myself, but then… who should show up but my favorite Gryffindor and a couple bags of groceries._

"So, that's how I saved your life? I interrupted your suicide attempt? One would think you'd be… mad at me, for a while at least."

"_Mad at you? _You gave me a reason to go on existing, DUMBASS!" the blond laughed. "You were my last hope, and you offered to help me during my darkest hour. Did you even know who I was?" Harry shook his head, and Draco smirked. "I thought not. It's probably a good thing. I don't think you would have tried to help me without question, if you knew who it was. Shall I continue?" Harry nodded.

_You seemed concerned about me, so I was honest with you. I wasn't kidding when I said I was hungry. I would have told you the truth immediately, but my patience had grown too thin. I was too damn hungry. Even though I knew I needed you, I couldn't stop myself. It was too easy to grab you and dig in. It really was. You're supposed to kill the Dark Lord, but I could have killed you easily._

"How did my taste compare?" Harry wondered out loud. Draco closed his eyes and leaned back lazily in his chair, resting his head on his forearms. "Well?"

"There's not much I can compare you to," the vampire responded slowly. "I haven't bitten anyone else. I think it was dog blood they were feeding me in Azkaban, always in a bowl. That was sort of stringy and bitter. Yours was somewhat sweet. Very salty. Not stringy at all." His lips curved into a gentle smile, revealing the smallest bit of fang. "And it was very warm. The blood they gave me in Azkaban was cold. But the flavor is nothing, really. You were exceptionally satisfying because I could feel your heart beating…" He trailed off.

Harry couldn't help it but notice that the exposed canines of his companion were slowly growing longer. "You can't be hungry again so soon," Harry said loudly. "You went a couple weeks without anything, as a new vampire." Draco's eyes snapped open, red but fading to gray.

"Sorry. You got me thinking about it. I'm not really hungry, you're just sort of tempting me. How would you like it if we started discussing the finer points of a chocolate cake, hmm? Let's talk about the texture of the frosting and the flavor of the cake itself. Let's not forget those cakes with a middle layer of fruit filling. The way those cherries feel when you pop them with your teeth, and the way that flavor just explodes on your tongue…" Harry gulped, realizing he was about to drool.

The blond stood and leaned forwards, bringing his face only a few inches from Harry's face. His expression was purely wicked. Harry found himself shrinking into the back of the chair as Draco came closer still. "I'm not about to pin you to the chair and devour you, Harry…" His pale lips brushed over Harry's, so ever so lightly. "… Even though you're a great deal tastier than cake."

* * *

You'd think Draco thought Harry was a yummy little California Roll or something! Review or Draco will stop treating Harry like sushi! 


	9. Twisting Worlds

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you, reviewers! I'd like to answer you all, but that would be longer than the chapter itself, so here goes...

Shakespeares Whore: I can't answer that, it'll spoil things. **There ARE more SLASHY things coming up.** That's all I'm saying.

The Real Evil Penguin: Draco's master is insane, if that clears anything up.

Kyra Windwood: We can assume Draco stole his clothes from somewhere.

LNL: What is WRONG with you! GO EAT SUSHI!

**And with that, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

**Part 9- Twisting Worlds**

_Holy crap. Draco just kissed me._

Harry was still frozen in his seat, though the blond had long since pulled away and began to stare boredly out the window. Sure, it wasn't difficult to comprehend what just happened. But Harry couldn't grasp why. Harry couldn't imagine his lips being considered delicious by a vampire. The only conclusion he could come to was that Draco really did have a _thing_ for him; which provided only more confusion for Harry. Many things had happened to the Slytherin since they last met, but nothing merited Draco suddenly liking him… that way. He may be grateful for the meal provided in a dark alley, but this? Harry's mind mulled over this uselessly. It occurred to him that Draco might just be hungry again and desperate for his victim's trust, but if that were the case, he surely would have been devoured by now. Draco couldn't like him that way. They'd been enemies for years. And the Prophecy! How could anybody see past something like that!

"Are you done stewing in your own miserable juices?" Draco cut in eventually, sounding rather annoyed as he surveyed the mortified wizard before him. Harry shook his head slowly. "If I'd known all it took to stun you was a kiss, I could have had you chained to the wall at Hogwarts _years_ ago." The blond playfully waved a pale hand in front of Harry's face, laughing as Harry's green eyes flashed and he swatted the hand away. "Ah, so you've decided to show signs of life!"

"Shut up," Harry groaned. "I'm trying to think."

"And failing, from the look of things," the vampire chuckled darkly, gray eyes sparkling with wicked mirth. "You must not be good at holding your alcohol. You haven't even had half of your beer."

"I'm not drunk, and you know it!" Harry protested sharply. "I'm just tired and confused. This is the second night I've stayed up talking to you. That's the second time you've locked lips with me, without warning. I just figured out you're not even human anymore. You can't expect me to be intelligent right now."

"No? I take it that my kisses are mind-blowing," Draco concluded arrogantly. Harry groaned louder and pressed his burning face into his palms. "Aren't they? Yes or no, Harry, it doesn't require too much thought…" He glared at him silently. Little did Draco know, it really did require too much thought. Not only about the answer, but about how the pale boy would react to it.

"Yes," he answered hesitantly. "But that means nothing. I may not be revolted, but I'm not gay, so don't expect anything from me." The vampire smiled to himself, flashing the smallest bit of fang. It was one of those _'I know something you don't know' _expressions. "Get your mind off it. _I am not gay_," Harry repeated firmly. Then he shuddered and looked away, trying to act as if Draco wasn't undressing him with his glittery red eyes.

… Red eyes? Yes, they were completely red._ Crap._ "Do you think I care what you prefer?" that silky voice purred. Harry's eyes widened.

Suddenly, cold hands clamped Harry's mouth shut. Before Harry could move an inch, the pale creature was behind him, knelt over him so closely that Harry could feel his individual muscles through the holes in the back of the chair. Another hand snaked in front of the boy, trapping him down on the chair. Harry held absolutely still, suddenly terrified.

Draco leaned into Harry's ear and breathed the very things that ran through Harry's mind. "Do you know where you are, Harry? You're sitting in a dark bar, wandless, at three in the morning, with a vampire. Nobody knows where you are. Your only help could come from that Muggle bartender. You could be in pieces in two minutes if I lost control." That was true, and they both knew it.

The clammy hand released Harry's mouth, but Harry didn't say a word. Draco slowly moved off of him and sat back in his seat, looking somewhat upset about what he'd just said and done. It was obviously a stupid little outburst. "You do realize I don't care, right?" Harry finally asked. "You already said you wouldn't rape me, because I'm obviously not good enough for you." Harry sneered. "And you simply can't kill me."

"I know."

"Do you?" Harry sighed, leaning back and relaxing in the chair. "You can't maim me much worse than you did a few days ago. Thanks to that damn prophecy, until I've murdered Voldemort or been killed by him, I can't die." The blond nodded. "It's not your stupid vampire powers. It's just me."

"Yes, you are a fool like that. Thank you," the blond whispered, sounding more sincere than ever before. Harry shrugged and closed his eyes. He was getting really exhausted from all the talking and thinking- and staying up all night- that he'd taken part in lately. He didn't have a clue what time it was, but he knew Hermione and Ron would kill him if they knew he wasn't asleep. Draco seemed to notice Harry's drooping eyelids. "Time to go back?"

"Definitely," Harry sighed, as he stood and stretched. His chest felt extremely cold, since it was still soggy with beer. _A beer that went to good use, _Harry thought to himself. _I needed somebody to make it clear what an idiot I am._ Draco stood and stretched as well, more out of habit than because he needed to. They exchanged no more words as they stepped out of the green and purple bar, Draco waving to the bartender as they reentered the cold streets of Muggle London.

Harry pulled his robe tighter around him, trying to ward off the chilly night air. Their footsteps echoed in the darkness. The moon was hidden too well behind the clouds to shed any light on their whereabouts; though Draco could see fine and knew the way, Harry would quickly get lost. A small breeze brought an empty crisp bag across their path, along with a couple half-rotted flowers that had fallen off some garden flower. The only light came from a nearby lamp, under which stood a group of seven Muggles.

Harry didn't like them. Something about the way they were watching him and Draco didn't bode well with him. "Draco…" The Gryffindor whispered slowly, realizing that the blond was leading him right towards the small group. "Let's take another route."

The vampire turned around slowly, letting his sultry cloak swoosh impressively in the air. "Why?" he asked silkily, smiling, showing off his sparkly white teeth. Harry's eyes widened, and he found himself taking a step back from his grinning companion.

"Draco… _don't,_" Harry pleaded.

"Why?" Draco asked again, turning back to the group of Muggles. Several of them had taken a few steps towards the two, looking quite menacing. One of them pulled a thick metal bar from his jacket, grinning as if trying to compete with Draco's smile. Draco calmly moved towards this man, completely undeterred by the smaller boy that grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back. He was only ten feet away now, and closing in, despite Harry's attempts at dragging him away. Another man pulled out a metal rod, smirking.

Despite the obviously ill intentions of the Muggles, Harry knew perfectly well that they were the prey, and Draco was the aggressor. He didn't want to step between a vampire and his dinner- but these were normal people. Armed and dangerous normal people. Merlin. This was going to be one hell of a fight, and Harry wanted to prevent it. "I thought you weren't hungry!" Harry growled in Draco's ear, as he tried to dig his heels into the road and stop the blonde's progress.

"I lied." Draco grinned, displaying his fangs for the Muggles as well as Harry. They were about half an inch long, and they were snakelike, which meant they were mostly flesh. His eyes had begun to faintly glow red, making his skin seem even paler in the night. "Them, or you? I can do a public service by murdering these blokes, or I can render you useless for another day." Harry almost let go of Draco's arm when he was threatened, but his will and grip held firm.

Even the Muggles had began to notice the signs. The nearest one halted in his tracks, glaring as he raised his bar slightly. "Got any money, kids?" he grunted.

"Yes, lots," Draco laughed. His fangs managed to get larger as he threw his head back slightly. His voice was smoother than silk, the kind of voice a guy typically uses on a beautiful stranger, and Harry had trouble keeping his nerve. That was the tone Draco had used when he thanked Harry over and over before biting him. "Come here, I'll give it to you. _I'll give it all to you…"_

"No," Harry hissed. "God, no. Don't do this." The Muggle with the bar seemed somewhat alarmed, and the men behind him shifted uncomfortably. They might not have gotten the whole vampire thing, but any idiot could have understood that there was something very wrong about Draco. The blond took two more steps forward, and it was too much for Harry. "Take me and leave them alone!" Harry squeaked, wincing as he realized what he just said._ Crap._

That shocked Draco out of mobility. "Do you mean that?" he asked, watching Harry from the corner of his large red eyes.

"Yes," Harry whispered, alarmed by that fact. How's that for Gryffindor behavior? His voice had risen a couple octaves. "Just don't cause trouble." The blond stared at him for a minute, mulling things over in his hungry little brain. "Let's go."

He didn't expect Draco's reaction to be so immediate. In a movement too fast for Harry to see, he was knocked off his feet, but before he could hit the ground, he was being held by the vampire's thin arms. Harry had shrieked in shocked alarm at that, but now his voice was caught in his throat and he held completely still. He tensed, knowing exactly what he had volunteered for. The Muggle with the bar took a step back, while several of the others gawked. "He's a monster," one of them said softly.

"I suppose you could put it that way," Draco answered him. "Good evening, gentlemen." Then he burst into a full run, off in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

The sky above suddenly became a blur to Harry, who closed his eyes tightly and clung to Draco as he ran. He didn't want to be dropped at this speed- that would be like falling out of a car! Luckily, Draco's grip was firmer than that. The night air was frigid against his ankles, which were being whipped by the hems of his pants. Patches of red light whirled before his closed eyes, and he assumed those were street lamps. There was a moment where the world got extremely dark and Draco slowed down, making Harry cling to him frantically as he lurched forward- then the world was still. Harry opened his dazed and spinning eyes to see a distorted room 4 in the Leaky Cauldron.

"We're here," Draco announced needlessly, setting the dizzy Gryffindor on the bottom bunk. Harry was immensely relieved to be here, but there was also a nasty feeling of dread settling in his guts. He buried his face in the pillow, trying to shake off his dizzy spell and calm himself. He didn't want to look at Draco, who was surely looking at him like a California roll. He held still again. No sudden movements in front of predators. He still didn't move when he felt the mattress shift under him, the telltale bounce of somebody sitting at the foot of the bed. "You're an idiot," Draco informed him.

"I've noticed," Harry groaned. "You must have sucked more than blood when you bit me that first time." He groaned again as he realized how wrong that sentence was. Draco chuckled slightly. "Brains, I meant _brains_! You bloody zombie _pervert_!" Draco cracked up and fell into the bed. Harry could tell by the way it bounced under his legs that Draco had fallen hard and was still shaking with laughter.

"How do you know I _didn't_ suck other things?" Draco laughed, his tone playful. "You passed out right afterwards. For all you know-"

"Eww!" Harry cried out, wadding himself into a ball. _No, that's just… eww. _"Do _not_ give me those mental images!" The blond fell silent. Harry could feel his huge eyes boring holes into him. Silence reigned. Harry felt a trickle of dread for a moment- did he just offend Draco with this? All of a sudden, an image flashed in his mind, as clear as a photograph. Harry, unconscious on the ground in a dark alley, with Draco crouched over him, in a very wrong manner… "Gah!" Harry cried out, sitting bolt upright, and flinging the pillow from his face. Draco was shaking with laughter again. "What did you do!"

"I gave you those mental images," Draco laughed. "It's one of those perks that goes along with the torment of being undead." Another image flashed in Harry's mind, this one far more obscene then the first. Harry lying flat on that bottom bunk with Draco on top of him, bodies entangled-

"Ugh! Stop that!" Harry hissed, shuddering as he buried his burning face in his hands. Draco didn't stop laughing, and neither did he stop putting images in Harry's head. The charade went on for several minutes; Harry pleading with Draco to stop it, another image that was dirtier than the next, Harry getting even redder. Some of those things looked too damn fun, and it was irritating Harry to no end, because he didn't like guys and he sure as hell didn't like Draco. And he didn't like Draco messing with his head.

"You enjoy it," Draco informed him with wicked glee.

"Oh, BITE ME!"

"Where?"

"You sick, perverted _bastard!_"

"Does that mean you want me to bite you in some sick, perverse place?" Draco asked innocently. Harry banged his head against the nearest bedpost, completely disgusted. Draco certainly wasn't making his intentions secret. Two kisses, and now this! "Fine. I'll stop torturing you."

"_Thank you._"

"So, where shall I bite you?" Harry buried his head in blankets. "In front of Granger and Weasley, or all alone in a cheap inn room?" Harry tensed up at this. "Hmm… Alone sounds good to me. Granger would kill me if I hurt you right before her eyes."

"Ron would do the same."

"After running away to vomit for a few minutes." Harry secretly agreed, though he didn't want to think of it. "So, if being all alone in this bed suits you just fine…" Draco was finally cutting to the chase. Harry glued his eyes shut, trying not to tense up as the mattress shifted under the moving weight of the blond vampire. Even ignoring the fact that Harry was about to be eaten alive, he would have felt nervous around Draco after those mental images. "You have to relax, Harry."

Hands wrapped around his waist, and Harry bit back a squeak as he was lightly pulled into a sitting position, right up against Draco. Harry stubbornly kept his eyes shut, but it didn't change any of his other senses. Draco smelled a lot like Ron; Harry assumed he'd been forced to use the redhead's deodorant. His chest was as cold as ice; Harry could feel it through all three layers of clothing that separated them. Frigid hands pulled Harry flush against him, and chilly breath ghosted around his half-exposed throat, making the smaller young man tremble from cold and apprehension. Harry made no move to resist; after all, he had volunteered for this. "Relax," Draco cooed softly, brushing his lips against Harry's skin and causing goose bumps to cascade all over the Gryffindor.

"How the hell am I supposed to relax, when-" Harry began hotly, but Draco cut him off with a clammy hand pressed gently against his lips.

"Deep breaths," the vampire laughed softly. Those lips were in motion. Harry tensed when he felt them part- then gasped as a tongue slowly caressed the same spot he'd bitten before, right over his jugular. Harry remained tense for a few seconds, but it soon became clear that Draco wasn't going to stop. Harry took a deep breath, relaxing slightly as he tried not to feel tickled. Perhaps tickled wasn't quite the word; that was erotic and Draco knew it. Harry ended up slowly letting go, relaxing over the next few minutes and letting his face burn. That damned tongue! It was cold, but it felt nice, and Harry didn't like the fact that it did.

For a split second, that tongue darted back into it's mouth, and before Harry could tense up, twin fangs stabbed deep into him. Harry cried out as pain ripped through him for a moment, which then evaporated as that familiar bliss swamped his dazed mind. He became as limp as a boneless fish in Draco's arms, but he didn't really care any more; this felt good. His head fell back to rest on Draco's shoulder. Harry couldn't help it but open his eyes slightly; the mattress under the top bunk swam above him, and the dark of the night was creeping around the corners of his vision. For several minutes, the only sound he could hear was this melodic drumming that he knew to be his heart. A small amount of panic rose in him as he heard it begin to slow, but he was certain Draco needed him too much to kill him. _Surely he can't kill me after all this… The prophecy won't let me die…_

The door burst open with a huge crunching noise, and Harry whimpered as he was torn from Draco's grip, his fangs having ripped large gashes in Harry's neck from the rough removal. Draco cried out as well. Through the whirling haze of Harry's sight, he witnessed Draco hissing in pain and raising a hand to his bloodstained jaw.

Harry was still limp, but now he was in somebody else's arms. Hermione.

"You swore you wouldn't hurt him," the witch gasped, her voice broken by rage and sorrow. Her wand was aimed at the pale creature on the bed, who's lamp-like red eyes were fixed on her in alarm. "I should have known better than to trust a vampiric Malfoy."

Harry passed out.

* * *

I don't know whether or not I should continue this after HBP comes out... Myeh... Review or Draco will GO TO AZKABAN AND NEVER GET OUT AGAIN! 


	10. Untwisting Visions

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you so much, reviewers Let's see, who shall I POKE this time!

**Ura-Hd:** Next chapter, dear friend, NEXT CHAPTER. Patience is a virtue.

**Kakisensei:** Sorry, no Harry slapping Hermione... you'll have to settle for the next best thing X3

**Argo:** Erk. I'm trying to play out Harry's Gryffindor courage, now that most of the secrecy is blown. His slytherin side will show it's face soon enough, don't worry. Harry won't be Draco's TOY...

**Curlytop:** WOW, that's the longest review I've ever seen! Hermione's suffering will not lead to begging for forgiveness, but she's done more damage thanyou realize. She'll make up for it. Still, please realize that all she did was walk into a room and see Harry being eaten alive by somebody she's hated for years. What else did you expect her to do? Put away the torch and pitchfork!... and Harry's gonna stop pussing out real soon.

**Rockstarhobbit:** It's not really AU... The reasons for Draco being a vampire and pretending to date Harry don't really fly out of the boundaries JKR set in her books...

**Silver-Draega:** In case you haven't noticed, Hermione has a knack of figuring things out after only two or three hints that nobody else boths to connect. She only just figured it out before she rushed in, though.

**Krip:** OO Do not obsess, it is bad for the sanity, just like yogurt!

**Morena Evensong:** Congradulations, you've found evidence that Harry's a Gryffindor that nobody else noticed

**Just me:** More... slash? ummmmm... We'll just see, k?

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 10- Untwisting Visions**

Drip.

_Where am I?_

Drip.

_What's that noise?_

Drip.

O_h, Merlin, I know that smell. Somebody's bleeding._

"Yes, you are." Harry opened his eyes and found that they didn't want to be opened just yet. He was as exhausted as that one time in fifth year when he stayed away for nearly a week, after… _Not going to think of it._ He was in the bathroom at the Leaky Cauldron, and upon further inspection, he found himself in the bathtub wearing nothing but his boxers. There was about an inch of cold water in the bottom of the tub. The dripping noises continued right next to his listening ears.

"Draco?" Harry murmured. He didn't dare move his head, remembering how his body felt after his last vampire bite. A pale arm moved into the tub. Harry flinched; but Draco had only moved down to stroke Harry's forehead. A moment later, the blond knelt over the tub so Harry could see him. His eyes were gray again, and though his skin had a healthier glow to it, there were tremendous bags under his eyes, and his muscles were all drawn in a stressful manner. "What happened when Hermione-"

"Hush," the Slytherin sighed. "Don't talk. Don't move. You're not fixed up yet." Harry blinked tiredly and confusedly up at the vampire, who was wearing one of Ron's old hand-me-down bathrobes. "When Granger so _rudely_ yanked you away from me, a few horrible things happened." Harry's confused look became a questioning one. _Horrible things?_ The blond looked very upset for a moment, but he continued to absently stroke Harry's forehead. "My fangs broke off and got stuck inside you."

"What-!"

"Shh!" Draco hissed, pressing Harry's mouth shut. "Don't worry, we eventually got them out… with luck and a pair of tweezers…" Harry grimaced at the thought of his friends digging at his throat with tweezers. "And my abnormal healing abilities allowed me to grow a new set for myself. However, there are a few things you ought to know about vampire fangs…" Draco definitely looked queasy by this time. Harry's breath caught in his throat, with concern. The vampire looked over his shoulder, blond hair swaying slightly. "Granger? Please, back me up."

"Well, for one thing, they secrete an anticoagulant, and that's why you're still bleeding," Hermione's voice echoed through the bathroom. Harry could tell she was annoyed. Draco smirked and leaned towards Harry, to whisper.

"Beware the hybrid's temper, Harry… She got worse than beer dumped on her head for her idiocy," the pale young man whispered. His gray eyes glinted in a mischievous sort of way.

"What did you do?" Harry asked slowly, his eyes widening slightly. He had obviously forgotten to whisper, because Hermione heard and answered.

"He decided I needed to become better acquainted with the inside of a toilet," Hermione sniffed, walking closer. Harry saw that her bushy brown hair was wet, and she reeked of human waste. "I think I've paid for my mistake. Anyway, we gave you a blood replenishing potion and we're still trying to stop your neck from bleeding. If it doesn't stop soon, we might have to take you to St. Mungo's."

Harry sighed. It could have been worse. He felt some grim satisfaction, knowing Draco had wreaked heavy vengeance upon her for the painful intrusion. The continued bleeding explained why he was in the bathtub. But it didn't quite explain why Draco and Hermione looked ready to fall over and die of exhaustion.

"We had a bit of a row," Draco explained softly. "Granger was livid. She didn't seem to appreciate the fact that almost everything I've ever said to her was a lie." Hermione snorted. "Don't worry, she's not going to turn me in- after all, there's no case against me now, and you _volunteered_ for that bite! I told her a bit about my summer and how I was turned…" The blond leaned forward, about an inch from Harry's face. "And I told her just how much I love you for everything you've done. It's so surprising, how fast affections can grow. Just one week… and BAM. If I hadn't found you, I don't know where I'd be."

Harry stared at him with mixed feelings of alarm and flattery. Despite every slimy act and lie he'd seen from the Slytherin, Harry didn't think he was lying.

"I hate to break you out of your romantic reverie," Hermione growled, giving Draco an acidic glare as she lightly pushed the lanky boy aside, "but Harry has to drink this now." She handed Harry a cup full of red liquid, encouraging him to drink it. Harry assumed it would taste horrible, like most medicines and potions, so he grimaced and took a great gulp. Draco watched him with a very serious expression as Harry started and took another tentative sip; it actually tasted rather nice. "Do you have any idea what that is?"

"No?"

"That's my blood, Harry." Harry gulped. "We'll explain a bit later." Harry, knowing how stubborn the blond could be, surrendered and swallowed another mouthful. It really didn't taste much like blood. It was far too sweet.

"Explain _now_," the Gryffindor coughed. Draco and Hermione exchanged looks of exasperated nervousness. "Hello? Answer me! Why, exactly, have I just drank vampire blood?"

"It's not going to turn you, Harry," Hermione said quickly. "It's just that it might help stop the bleeding…"

"Wouldn't it be more effective to just dump it on the cuts?" Harry groaned. Experimental healing didn't appeal to him, especially when he was the patient. Hermione slapped herself on the forehead, and Draco promptly whisked the cup away, dipping the end of a washcloth in it before holding it against a sore spot on Harry's neck. "Merlin… You're both _mothering_ me." It was Draco's turn to snort, and everybody knew Malfoys didn't snort. "You gave that blood willingly, right?"

"No," Draco drawled sarcastically. "It was taken by force for the resurrection of our new Dark Lord, Harry Potter…"

"That's not funny," Hermione hissed, walking up and giving Draco and bonk over the head with her knuckle. The blond only laughed, despite the twin glares he received from Hermione and Harry.

"Sure it is," the Slytherin chuckled. The bloody washcloth was dunked in the cup again and brought back to Harry's neck, which felt warm and somewhat tingly. "He hears voices, he speaks in tongues! He has nightmarish visions, in which he takes the role of being the Dark Lord! And that incident in fifth year… With the snake…" The vampire smirked. Harry felt a sense of impending doom. "Did he ever tell you that he saw things from the snake's point of view, and right afterwards, he almost attacked Dumbledore with his little imaginary snake fangs? Make a good vampire or Dark Lord, this one will…"

Hermione was staring emptily at Harry, so completely lost in thought that she seemed frozen. Draco continued. "Let's see… He's beginning to hate Muggles as well as the Ministry of Magic. He's had a bad past, our Harry! He's always been experimenting with magic far above his level, and he seems to master it all immediately! He learned a handy little curse from the Dark Lord in second year, through the diary. I don't even know what that spell was, but it was sure useful in fighting off the spiders in the forest, wasn't it? And from what I heard, he didn't do such a bad job when he used the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange… It made her stop treating him like a baby…"

"Stop!" Harry hissed, remembering with a pang of guilt that he'd never told Hermione and Ron about using the Cruciatus on Bellatrix, nor about being the snake in his visions. These were some of the things he hoped his friends would never hear about. Hermione was giving him that look, the same look she'd given Harry after finding out that he as a Parsletongue and hearing voices. That frightened, suspicious look that almost asked, 'who are you and what have you done with Harry?'.

Draco smiled. "So, have you noticed that I'm a naturally skilled at Legilimency yet?"

"Yes," Harry groaned. "And you're obvious better at it then Voldemort. He hasn't managed to pick through my memories like that, without me knowing." Hermione was now looking back and forth between the two, as if they'd gone mad. "At least… I don't think he has…" He shook that grim thought out of his head.

"It happens when I bite you," Draco said lightly. "_Your_ life flashes before _my_ eyes. Did you know, I can only force images into your head? I tried it on Granger a minute ago, but apparently I've become… _bonded_ to you through your snack offerings." The door suddenly slammed shut outside of Harry's vision, and he shifted slightly, despite the painful twinge in his neck. "She's gone, Harry. She probably went to snog a book on vampires and see just how special I am." Harry lay back down, trying not to smirk. _Snogging a book… How _delicately _Draco puts it._

"My neck isn't getting any better, is it?" Harry sighed. The vampire shook his head and doused the victimized flesh of Harry's throat in more of his own blood. Harry knew he should have felt sickened by this, but he wasn't. Maybe Draco wasn't kidding when he said Harry would make a good vampire or Dark Wizard… He could never be a Dark Lord, but Dark Wizard…? The Gryffindor, sickened by his own thoughts, placed a clammy and weak hand on his face- and noticed something. "Is there anything else I should know about your fangs?" he asked slowly, now glaring at Draco.

"Not that I know of," the blond answered, looking nervous. "Why?"

"You've got a hair on your cheek."

"So what?" the Slytherin scowled, pulling that one pale, nearly invisible hair off of his face.

"I could see it."

"SO WHAT?"

"I don't have my glasses on."

* * *

HALLELUHIA, HARRY CAN SEE! HE AIN'T BLIND NO MORE!Wait, how did THAT happen!Review, or... glared at by Chatwyn or I won't read your reviews... I guess. By the way, if HBP comes out before I finish the next chapter, you might end up waiting a few days... ;;


	11. Around the Twist!

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Thank you for the reviews, people! Who must I adress today... **Krip:** NO. Just... NO. No more yogurt for you!

**Koryan'shea:** Turn Harry? We'll just save that for Draco, okay?

**Firefairy42:** I'm not English, I'm American... But I'm trying to make the characters still seem English, it only makes sense to do so.

**Morena Evensong:** You'd be surprised how much magic Draco can do.

**Red Elektra:** I'd rather enjoy it if Draco bit me, but I suppose, by updating, I'm spoiling my chances.

**Opal:** Does Dumbledore know anything? ... um... Go read HBP.

* * *

**Part 11- Around the Twist!**

Draco was staring at Harry as if he'd grown another head. All of a sudden, that wouldn't have been surprising to Harry.

"Your eyes have been fixed," Draco stated bluntly, as if trying to understand what this meant. Harry nodded slowly, wincing as his still-bleeding neck panged unpleasantly. The blond slowly stood, not bothering to tie shut the maroon bath-robe he had borrowed from Ron, knowing perfectly well that Harry was acquainted with his silver boxers. Harry had more important things to worry about. Draco ran a pale, long-fingered hand through his smooth blond hair, pacing a wee bit, not looking at Harry. "I doubt it's because of my fangs…" he muttered aloud. Draco turned slowly back to Harry. "It's either my blood, or our awkward little bond."

"Or the combination," Harry submitted. Silence reigned supreme all of a sudden, and Draco's empty gray eyes fixated themselves onto Harry's. The Gryffindor shrank, figuring that he'd said something stupid. "Sorry. I don't know much about vampires." Those eyes flickered away.

"Nor do I. I'm sure Granger will fix that soon, though." The blond slowly smirked. "She seems to enjoy making you and Weasley listen to every fascinating fact she gets her grubby little mitts on." Harry almost smiled, but he was too confused and worried. Draco frowned, leaning back over the tub. He just watched Harry for a silent minute, before reaching his hand down, onto the Gryffindor's throat. Not where he'd been bitten, of course, on the front, right below his Adam's Apple. The hand remained locked in place for a moment, then pale fingers played absently with the curves of Harry's throat. Harry was too busy thinking to be bothered. "Has anybody ever told you that you're more delicious than any kind of tempura or nagiri-zushi?"

"Nobody's ever called me delicious before," Harry mumbled, trying not to feel flattered. "Nor compared me to sushi." He wished Draco would stop tickling his throat. It made thinking rather difficult. "S-stop that!" Harry hissed after a moment. Draco pulled his hand back, glaring at him.

"Seventy three trillion points from Gryffindor!"

"For what!" Harry squawked.

"For being _miserable_, and almost passing your misery on to me!" The vampire laughed. "Smile, Harry, smile! Look at me! If I can smile, so can you!" He grinned broadly, pointing out to Harry that his fangs had become invisible. Harry almost did so; the Slytherin was acting extremely childish all of a sudden. "Smiiiiiiiiiiile!" Draco whined, grabbing the corners of Harry's lips and tugging them upwards in a smile.

Then he gasped and pulled his hands quickly away from Harry's face.

"Please don't tell me I have fangs," Harry groaned.

"Your teeth are hideous!" Draco spat. "I'm going to get you a toothbrush!" That really did get Harry to laugh, and the blond gave him an appeased smile as he retreated from the room.

Left alone, Harry could do nothing. He couldn't move, he had nobody to talk to, the noise of his blood dripping into the tub was very annoying, and his neck felt very strange (a mixture of muscles aching and the feeling of some numbing substance on top). Now that his senses were returning, he felt somewhat stupid. The whole room stank of blood, and unless Draco's blood absolutely couldn't clot, there was going to be a nasty mess of gore caked onto his throat. He found himself thinking rather depressed thoughts. The meal Harry had provided Draco with wouldn't last very long, considering his emergency donation for Harry's healing. That was so… _useless_.

Draco came back in after a minute, this time accompanied by Charlie and a lovely toothbrush that glistened in the sun like… okay, so it wasn't a toothbrush sent from heaven. Harry was still happy to see it. The aftertaste of vampire blood was kind of gross. Charlie looked exhausted and somewhat ridiculous, with his red hair strewn about chaotically and his pajamas so wrinkled. "What's so important?" Charlie asked dully. Then his eyes popped wide open, and he rushed to Harry's side faster than a Firebolt. _"Harry!_ Who did this!"

"Don't go suspicious and Moody-like on us. I'm the guilty person," Draco said swiftly. Charlie stared at Draco dumbly. The blond moved a little closer, rubbing his temples lightly and refusing to look at either Gryffindor. "Harry was being stupid, so I mutilated him and now he's too dumb to heal."

"Hey!" Harry spat.

"That _is_ the truth, in a nutshell!" Draco huffed.

"What happened?" Charlie asked slowly, completely confounded.

Draco pointed at himself. "Vampire." He pointed at Harry. "Willing sacrifice." He stalked forward and poked Harry's damaged neck. "Molested patch of flesh." He pointed into the bathtub, to the red water that surrounded Harry. "The bloody results. Granger got my fangs lodged in him, and we've removed them, but now Harry won't stop bleeding."

Cool as he was, Charlie was a sleepy Weasley, so the information didn't absorb instantly. He stared emptily at Draco for a few seconds, before bellowing, "Merlin! Draco! You're-"

"-A vampire."

Charlie looked at Harry with alarm. "And you're-"

"- A bleeding victim," Harry mumbled.

"And you expect me to-"

"-Help him, rather than allowing the Boy-Who-Went-Balls-to-the-Walls to kick the bucket in a bathtub." Draco hesitated for a moment. "Well, that was a fun sentence," he said cheerfully. "The Chosen One didn't have a good enough ring to it." Charlie was staring at Draco as if he'd sprouted daisies in one ear and began leaking marmalade from the nostrils. The sadistically amused vampire quickly put on a serious face. "We can't get the bleeding to stop. I'll explain everything later, but he needs some help now."

"I can speak for myself, Draco," Harry informed him irritably.

"Hush, victim. I've decided to represent you."

"Oh, Lord help me…"

"Help the poor man, Charlie Weasley!" The redhead slowly changed his expression from confusion to resolve.

"Dad got bitten by that great ruddy snake two years back," Charlie said slowly. "That wouldn't stop bleeding, either… How did they get it to stop, again? I don't know… They made an antidote…" Draco made an impatient noise in the back of his throat, bordering between a growl and hiss. "There wouldn't happen to be an antidote for vampires, would there?"

"An antidote for vampires?" Draco choked incredulously. "Certainly, there is! Shall I buy us an antidote for wardrobes while I'm at it?" His voice was dripping more sarcasm than Harry's throat was dripping fluids.

"Oh, Merlin, I'm turning into a vampire wardrobe… The _horror_," Harry groaned with equal sarcasm, so completely annoyed by the debate being held a foot above him that he wanted to blow some heads off. Half the reason he didn't was his lack of a wand; the other half was his lightheadedness. If he was lucky, he might manage a little 'accidental' magic, like the time he blew up Aunt Marge. "I feel fine, you morons. You could just bandage me up and get me some more of those Blood Replenishing Potions. That would be great," Harry hinted. Draco rolled his eyes. Charlie nodded briskly and left the bathroom to gather the necessaries.

Not a second after the door clicked shut, Draco was knelt over Harry again, smirking and bluntly undressing Harry with his eyes. "Could you stop staring at me like that?" Harry groaned.

"Alright. Will this do?" Draco batted his eyelashes and gave him a most sickeningly sweet look of reverence. He could do it even better than Dobby. Harry felt his stomach clench. "No? What about this?" He scowled at Harry with the combined benevolence of Voldemort and Snape. Harry scowled back. "You're so picky, Harry."

"Stop making faces at me."

"Okay." Draco smiled and turned away without a complaint. Harry said nothing. He'd began to pick up signs that something was amiss about the blond. "Instead of staring, shall I talk?"

"What is there to talk about?" Harry mumbled. The blond whipped his head to look back at him.

"Surely you don't think the story is OVER!" Harry said nothing. The blond looked mildly smug. "No, I should have expected idiocy from you. All you know is how I came to find you in that alley. You don't know what happened on the way back to London. You don't know why I'm no longer a wanted a vampire- and you don't know why nobody seems to know I'm a vampire, either!"

"I take it we had an eventful trip back to London?"

"Oh, yes indeed!" Draco chuckled. "A very eventful trip. After I attacked you, I was-"

"Not now," Harry interrupted. "It can wait until I've gotten out of this tub and eaten something." The words had hardly left his mouth before Charlie was back with bandages. Harry could tell Draco was just itching to continue the tale, but the defeated vampire only murmured, "after breakfast," and left.


	12. Bending Harry

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Hehe... About time for some review-answering, ne?

Rika-San- Yes, I've read HP&HBP. Thank you for the kudos and cookie.

Morena Evensong- I'm not absolutely certain whn this story takes place, so I'll keep HBP spoilers to a minimum.

Kakisensei- Many series are going "political"... I know Draco's starting to act strange. Don't worry, he'll be himself again soon.

Krippity- Bad fanperson. No yogurt. Have a chapter.

MachiavellianOrange- Yes, I pdate my own wesbite. I'm just slower about updating that than I am at updating stuff, since I have to write up all the HTML for my website.

Siiarrei- If Harry was a vampire, more than his vision would have been changed.

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 12- Bending Harry**

Thoroughly bandaged and drowned in Blood-Replenishing potions, a bedraggled Harry Potter got five full minutes of time to himself as he got dressed and brushed his (true to Draco's insult) disgusting teeth. He was feeling quite wretched. Another night with very little sleep. He resolved to sleep all day, starting the instant Draco fell asleep. This was getting ridiculous. The vampire's schedule clearly wasn't only affecting him. Charlie went back to bed as soon as his bandaging duties were fulfilled. Hermione had clearly been nocturnal already, as she had shown no signs of exhaustion.

After flinging on his wrinkled new clothes, the raven-haired teen stumbled towards the door, intent on placing some food in his churning stomach. He wondered vaguely why he wasn't mad at Draco. This was the second time the blond had mutilated him. Then he remembered with a feeling of growing stupidity that, in both cases, he had insisted that Draco bite him. He really did have a heroism complex…

The second he stepped out of the door to Room 4, it became apparent that Draco and Hermione were having yet another row in a nearby room downstairs. "If Ron being with me is bestiality, Harry being with you is necrophilia!" Hermione's voice shrieked.

"I'm only stating the facts, you wretched hybrid!" Draco spat in response. Considering that Draco was a vampire and Hermione could be extremely dangerous when enraged, a fight between them would undoubtedly result in somebody being dead and somebody else in Azkaban. Harry rushed down the stairs, trying to get down there without breaking his neck. "How did we even get on this topic! I was trying to tell you that I'm worried about Harry!" The bespectacled boy froze. Apparently, Hermione had as well, because a ringing silence was left in the air.

Draco took a deep breath, deep enough for Harry to hear it. Harry crept closer to the closed kitchen door, where Hermione and Draco had been bickering. He tired to be as quiet as possible, knowing that very little would slip past the pale vampire's sensitive ears. "If this is about your bond," Hermione said softly. "Than I already know."

"It's not just the bond," Draco murmured. Harry heard Draco's feet clicking on the floor as he paced. He was careful not to breathe too loudly. "True, without that bond, I wouldn't even be having this conversation with you. If I hadn't been able to see into his mind, I wouldn't have noticed it… I doubt anybody else has noticed it, either."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded. "Is there something wrong with his mind?"

"Aside from the obvious bouts of insanity and the fact that he's a Gryffindor through and through?" Draco sneered. Harry bit his lip, knowing that Draco was trying to lighten the mood with this half-hearted insult. "There are things in his mind that shouldn't be there, and some things that are missing. There are a lot of things that he simply knows, but doesn't recall how he came to know them- lots of empty spaces in his memory."

"So he's forgetful," Hermione sighed. "Is that all?"

"Have you ever done research on Parsletongue?" Draco interrupted her. "Even those predisposed to speak it have to learn it first. Either they learn it by speaking to their families in that language, or by speaking to snakes. Harry apparently knew the language perfectly before his first encounter with a snake. He thought he was speaking English."

Harry's breath hitched.

"Do you know all the accidental magic he's done before school? His mind has changed a bit, so he doesn't remember any of those things properly, but he knew perfectly well what he was doing at the time- he knew how to Apparate when he was eight! He Disapparated away from his cousin when he was being chased. That's a major one. He's completely forgotten a few other instances, like the time he got mad at his teacher. He started muttering words he didn't understand, and she started coughing up blood."

Did that happen? Harry searched his memory and couldn't recall anything like that ever happening. He'd jinxed a teacher? He'd made a teacher seriously ill? He did recall Mrs. Stevens, his old gym teacher, who quit halfway through the year and got replaced with Mr. Bode…

"What are you trying to say?"

"I don't really know," Draco groaned. "Just that… I think a lot of his talents and memories aren't really his own." Hermione said nothing. Harry head Draco's feet click towards the door, and though he immediately turned to run, a pale hand grasped his wrist two seconds later. Draco was frowning down at him, looking genuinely concerned.

"Hello," Harry said lightly, trying not to sound worried.

"Hello," Draco replied, letting go of Harry's wrist, still looking alarmed. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to scare me," Harry murmured. "I don't think I want to know anything else. I don't want to know how deep my connection with Voldemort runs." The blond nodded slowly, still watching Harry.

"You really ought to put your glasses back on," Draco said lightly. "We can punch out the lenses. People will ask questions if you suddenly cease to look nerdy." Harry smiled. Draco looked him over oddly for a second. "You look good without them," he said quietly.

"I feel naked without my glasses," Harry grumbled. Draco smirked.

"Well then, I must say, you look good when you're naked."

Harry grabbed a fork off the floor and threw it at Draco as the vampire ran away, laughing hysterically. "You set yourself up for that!" he called from the doorway of Room 4. Harry knew perfectly well that he had, and it didn't help him stop thinking about Draco's compliments. That pale creature was being as obvious as a brick to the forehead. Shaking his head, Harry moved down the hallway, into the lobby.

Charlie sat at the table, drowsily chewing some cereal. "No point in trying to go back to sleep now," he mumbled. "It's nearly six." He shoved some cereal and milk in Harry's direction, lazily conjuring up a spoon and bowl. Harry gratefully filled his bowl and dug in, not caring that the cereal was slightly stale. Charlie read the small book he had with him for a few minutes, silent until Harry finished his breakfast. "He's bitten you before, hasn't he?" Charlie asked softly. Harry nodded. "How many times?"

"Only once before," Harry said softly. "He really needed it. He blew an awful lot of energy when he… er… rescued me from the Dursleys." If Charlie had noticed Harry wasn't meeting his eyes, he said nothing. "What are you reading?"

"This?" Charlie gasped, sliding the book out of view. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a little something I-"

"Oooooh! I've read that before!" Hermione's voice squealed from behind Harry. "_Homosexuals: The Truth_, by Big Rodman. It's so fascinating!" Harry gulped as Hermione sat next to him, her brown hair bobbing. She didn't know he'd eavesdropped… She was acting perfectly normal. As she swiped the book away from Charlie, Draco joined them at the table, taking a large handful of cereal and eating it dry.

"What's the book?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"It's a book on common misconceptions and lies about gays," Hermione answered briskly. "Some of it was actually rather funny!" She opened the book, and Harry had the nasty feeling that whatever she was going to tell him would make him nauseous. "Here's it's got some of them listed down! Commonly believed lies about gays… Number 1: All homosexuals are perverts."

"That one's true," Harry said, giving Draco a pointed glare. The blond licked his lips at Harry and continued eating his dry cereal. Hermione giggled.

"Number 2: Homosexuals have the power to turn strait people gay."

"Too right, they don't," Harry said, with a smirk at Draco. The blond gave a smirk in return, and leaned rather close to Harry's ear.

"We'll just see about that," Draco whispered. Harry's mind was instantly swamped with obscene images of him and Draco, causing the raven-haired Gryffindor to shiver. Hermione raised her eyebrows at them, but she hadn't heard Draco, so she must have assumed something else. Harry was blushing. So many images… What alarmed him was that several had appealed to him more than they should have. What if… _Great, now he's making me question my sexuality._

"Bastard," Harry whispered. Draco only laughed.

"Continue, Granger," he said politely, loudly enough for her to hear. The other lies and misconceptions weren't as fun; they ranged from 'Homosexuals are exceptionally susceptible to Pigorian Pox' to 'Homosexuals are obsessed with pink things.' Harry nearly feel asleep listening to her jabber.

"And with the aid of certain potions or spells, gays can have kids… And it says that being gay is perfectly normal!" Hermione concluded.

"Congratulations, Harry," Draco yawned, looking just as deep in the stupor of exhaustion as Harry. "For once in your life, you're normal."

"Why, thank you," Harry grouched as he stood. "I'm going to sleep."

"Me too," Draco laughed, standing up and gently grasping Harry's hand. He didn't flinch or whip his hand away, but the gesture alarmed him. Draco held his hand all the way as they went up the stairs, but Harry had had enough when they got up to Room 4.

"Stop it!" he hissed, wrenching his hang away from the vampire. "I thought we were only pretending!"

"We were," Draco said slowly, as he opened the door. "And you still are, but I'm not." Harry shook his head and walked into the room. Draco shut the door behind them, and turned to face Harry with a rather grim expression. "Since you just can't seem to take a hint, I'm going to be as strait-forward as a brick to the forehead. Harry James Potter, I like you."

"I've noticed," Harry snarled in his defense.

"And?" Draco persisted, moving towards Harry, who backed away slightly.

"And I'm not interested in guys." Harry had backed all the way to the edge of the bed.

"Would you at least consider me, if you were?" Draco was about two feet in front of him, and tall enough to make Harry feel miniscule and weak. Harry took a deep breath to help gather his wits.

"Probably. But, I'm not. So, drop it." His ankle snagged on the bed frame, and he toppled onto the bed with a yelp. Draco offered him a hand up, but Harry scowled and wrapped himself in blankets. "Why don't we finish this discussion when we're awake?" Harry suggested, knowing full well that Draco wasn't just going to drop it.

"Because I'm still awake, and so are you," Draco reasoned. He knelt beside the bed, propping his head up as he stared deep into Harry's green eyes. "Are you absolutely certain that you have no interest in men?"

"I'm not- no, I can't be. I'm absolutely sure that I'm not," Harry sputtered. Draco smiled slightly and leaned towards Harry, running a cold hand along the pale cheek. "Stop that."

"You know, I can see deeper into your mind than you yourself can," the Slytherin whispered. "I can solve this issue once and for all…"

"Those bandages have completely hidden my neck, but it would start bleeding immediately if you removed them," Harry warned him. "It would be very rude of you to stain the bed."

"You think I'm going to bite your _neck_ again?" Draco laughed. "Necking is fun, yes, but there are so many other places, places that would be a lot _more_ fun…" Harry gaped at the blond for a moment before defensively pulling the blankets tighter around him. "Like here." A pale finger moved up slightly and brushed over Harry's lips. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Better his lips than something else… "Is that alright with you, Harry? I could just take a quick peek at your mind and get the truth out. Or, do you want to be insecure forever?"

Harry scowled at him. He knew he was just being pressured into it. _I might as well go through with it, if it'll get him off my back._ "Go ahead," Harry sighed. _It can't really hurt too much, if it's just my lips. Then again, it hadn't really hurt much before…_ "But don't get your hopes up."

"Too late," Draco chuckled as he leaned into Harry's face and captured his lips. Harry had expected the vampire to kiss him, but that didn't change how comfortable he was with it: not very. Draco was admittedly a good kisser, but the fact that it was Draco sucked all fun out of it for Harry. Until Draco nipped his lower lip, barely breaking the skin.

It wasn't enough to be painful, yet for a split second Harry felt a rush of the ecstasy he'd felt before. He gasped as it faded. Draco respectfully pulled away, rather than trying to slip Harry the tongue… which, for one alarming moment, Harry might have killed for. The small bout in insanity passed as quickly as the jolt of bliss. "Well?" Harry demanded, trying not to appear as shaken as he really was.

Draco was staring at him, blankly. "Harry," he said slowly.

"Yes?"

"You're not just gay, Harry. You're _very_ gay. Shelly Winters is to cellulose as you are to gay." A grin was slithering across Draco's pale face like a mischievous snake.

"What…?"

"You're gay like Martin Luther King Jr. was BLACK!" Draco's voice had grown high-pitched. His eyes grew huge and sparkled wildly.

"Bullshit!" Harry spat.

"… Is a good fertilizer!" Draco laughed, absolutely ecstatic now.

"Let me sleep!" Harry pleaded, thoroughly annoyed. He was almost certain that Draco was lying.

"I'm shoving it in your face because I must," Draco giggled in a rather drunk manner. "I absolutely must! Gods, Harry! I always knew you were a fairy, you're so good at flying…" Harry felt his heart sinking slightly. This sounded more like an exaggeration than an outright lie. He, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One- gay? Can't be…

"Go to sleep," Harry groaned, falling back onto the bed and burying himself in pillow. His precious barrier of fluff was torn brutally away from him by the blond, who scooped him up and planted an enthusiastic kiss on his lips. "Knock it off, DAMN YOU!" Harry yelled, shoving the Slytherin away.

"Still denying it? I saw it!" Draco squealed. "What do you think our bond is? I've found you, Harry, I've found my _mate!_ You enjoyed those last bites way too much for you to be strait! And the kisses, too! Ye gods- If I had known the effect they had on you-" He leapt forward and attacked Harry's lips again, mischievously exploiting his fangs before Harry could protest. Harry squeaked as the feelings of bliss swamped him, and Draco wrapped around him as tightly as the blanket. Harry couldn't help it; he melted into Draco. In his hazy state of mind, dignity didn't matter and he just wanted to feel Draco drawing him deeper into that silky abyss…

"Merlin," Draco breathed as he stopped sucking at Harry's swollen lips. Harry was slammed brutally back into reality, and he shuddered with revulsion. Draco grinned and ran his pale fingers through Harry's coal-black hair. "So… Do you still think you're strait?" he drawled.

Harry tore himself away and buried himself in his blankets, not saying anything. Draco whimpered and whined, poking and prodding at Harry's cozy cocoon with nothing to show for it. "Fine. Good day," he eventually sighed as he retreated to the top bunk. Harry knew he wouldn't see the last of this behavior. Draco was a stubborn tick… _But, _Harry thought grimly, _he isn't as stubborn as me. I'll take that answer with me to the grave.

* * *

_

AND WE FINALLY HAVE OUR ANSWER! Draco's getting under Harry's skin quite expertly! Review or suffer the wrath of my kentucky fried chicken! 


	13. Twisted Tales

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Righty-o! Review-o's!

**Morena Evensong-** Do you REALLY want to know why Charlie was reading that book? I doubt it.

**Rika-San-** Thanks always for the cookies.

**Phoegan Leisha-** Thanks for pointing out the repeated spelling error! The version isn't corrected, but it is everywhere else...

**Argo-** Chill out, K? I'm not going dom!vampire and sub!mate. I'd tell you how the tides will turn, but that would be too much of a spoiler. Harry's not going to be Draco's pet.

**Krippity-** Please don't stalk me. nn;;

**Red Elektra-** Yes, I know HPDM can be scary at first. but as you can see, it's happening for a reason! Drake would be in azkaban if he hadn't claimed Harry as his gay lover!

**CrAzYLoOn-** Thank you for the cookies, I have called off the chicken. That last chapter was incredibly perverted.

**Dreamers Nightwings -** Harry re-met Draco about a week after his birthday... you know... into August. Draco brushed over most of a month in his storytelling, the boring month in which he had lived with a Muggle.

**Nightmare Alley-** No, Harry is not _FLAMING_ gay... Draco is. Harry's just plain, boring "in denial" gay.

LET THE STORY COMMENCE!

* * *

**Part 13- Twisted Tales**

"Good evening! I hope you slept well?"

"I hope you burn in the darkest bowels of hell."

"That wasn't very nice," Draco pouted as he handed a sleepy Harry his old pair of glasses, punching out the lenses as he passed them over. He seemed to be in high spirits- almost so high that Harry wondered if he'd cast a cheering charm on himself. The light from the dusty black window declared the time to be around ten o'clock. "Actually, it was Granger that put the charm on me a couple hours back. How did you sleep, Harry?"

"Had a load of nightmares about you being naked," Harry replied acidly. He sat up and brushed his midnight hair out of his eyes. By now, his only outfit was extremely wrinkled from being worn too many days in a row, and it had began to develop a very slight odor. "I have to get my stuff back tonight. This is just _gross_." He gestured his clothes, and the blond nodded.

"I thought it was gross yesterday. You don't have heightened senses." With a yawn, Harry began to move off of the rickety lower bunk, but Draco caught him by the arm.

"What are you-" Harry began to ask, but Draco silenced him with a kiss. "Mmph- stop that!" The Gryffindor shoved Draco off and angrily attempted to flatten the wrinkles in his green shirt. The vampire didn't seem too ruffled or put off; rather, he looked even perkier than before. "Freak," Harry breathed, annoyance rising in him. "God- I want my clothes back! I want my wand back so I can hex you next time you kiss me! I want you to stop looking at me like that!" Draco laughed and hauled Harry into the tiny bathroom. The place smelled like the entire room had once been a urinal. Stains of every color blemished ever corner of every object.

"After you get out of the shower, you should grab yourself a meal. We're going to get your stuff back."

"_You're_ coming with me?" Harry gasped. How would the Dursleys react to Draco? Without the wealth and power of his family to back him, Draco was the very essence of all the Dursleys despised- magical, peculiar, and poor. "What about Charlie? Hermione and Ron?"

"I figured we should let them sleep," Draco breathed. "We don't need their help. Get ready. I'm going to help you get your stuff away from those wretched Muggles." He walked halfway out the doorway, then turned to Harry with a sly smile. "Unless you're afraid to be with me?"

"I am not afraid to be with you," Harry bit out. Draco grinned broadly.

"Then I'll see you downstairs… sweetie."

He fled the room before Harry could figure out what he had just said and take it back.

* * *

"You know I despise you, right?" Harry demanded as they left the Leaky Cauldron, instantly engulfed in the exhausted lights of Muggle London. They were both devouring doughnuts; Harry tearing away at his violently, as if miming what he'd like to do to Draco. The aforementioned vampire was making a great show of licking the inner ring and making exaggerated moaning noises. 

"Of course you despise me," Draco replied. "I loathe you too, sweetie."

"Don't call me that!" Harry spat.

"Alright, honey."

"Draco…"

"How about 'Princess?'"

"DRACO!"

"Oh! Please don't behead me, Princess Draco!" Draco squealed, pretending to clutch his chest in terror.

"You could just call me Harry…" the Gryffindor hissed. He pulled his cloak around him tighter. It was a cold night. The sky was a mess ofclouds, and it looked like rain was fast approaching. Harry's breath steamed right along with the puddles on the littered sidewalk, but not a puff could be seen from Draco's white lips.

"Alright then… Harry," Draco cooed, saying his name like a prayer as he leaned slightly against Harry's side. Harry scowled but made no effort to push him away. He got the feeling Draco enjoyed every bit of attention Harry paid him, even the annoyed shoves. "Are you ready to fly?"

Harry rounded on him. "Fly?" he repeated.

"Why, yes. You don't expect us to walk all the way to Surrey and get back before your friends notice we're gone?"

"But neither of us have broomsticks," Harry began to say. Draco smirked and took off his shirt, despite Harry's annoyed cluck. "And we'd been seen unless it started raining kidneys and livers. We've got no _way_ to fly, unless you've grown wings since the last time I- Holy SHIT!" Leathery black wings ripped out of Draco's back, in a shower of dark blood. Before Harry could stumble over backwards, Draco's arm latched around Harry's waist and the lithe Quidditch player was deprived of land. Harry clung to Draco for dear life as they shot upwards.

"Not surprised, are you?" Draco laughed over the wind.

"Oh, shut up," Harry hissed, hanging tightly to the pale creature. "We didn't exactly learn much about vampires in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Draco fell silent. Wind howled around them like a pack of rabid hellhounds under a singing hex. They shot past buildings so fast, Harry was reminded of looking out a car window at the white stripes on the road.

After about ten minutes, it began to rain slightly. The cold became too much for Harry, so he informed Draco, and they descended to walk for a while. "God, you fly fast," Harry informed him as he tried to pull his robe around him tighter. Draco gave him an odd look, and removed his robe, handing it to Harry. "Er… thanks," Harry said uncertainly as he put it on. "Won't you be-?"

"Cold?" Draco sneered. "You sad, stupid little creature. Vampires don't get cold." Yes, that made Harry feel stupid. He looked down at his feet in sullen silence. "… Sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I should be nicer to you," Draco said softly. "I'm not the same person you hated in school, Harry. I ought to start proving that."

Harry froze dead in his tracks. "Did you just apologize?" Draco nodded. "The end is truly nigh," Harry said in a daze. Draco laughed and wrapped an arm around Harry's shaking shoulder, pulling him close. Sure, Draco might have changed, but Harry still didn't want to kiss him, and that was surely on his mind. "What about that story?"

"The story?" Draco said slowly. "Oh, right. The story." They began to walk again. Harry found this a little awkward, because he was tripping on Draco's feet every couple seconds. "I left off when I bit you that first time. What a horrid place to have to start on again…

* * *

_The scary thing was, the second I dropped you, I began to see your memories. I was sort of locked in place while watching you past. I saw too much to list, but your memories of the Dark Lord were right on the top of the pile, and that effectively scared the crap out of me. When I finally came back to the present, I saw that horrible look on your face. I knew I'd messed up and that you'd never forgive me, so I turned to run, but then you socked me in the back of the head too quickly for me to dodge.

* * *

_

"That was a nice punch, by the way," Draco added with a smirk. "It takes a pretty hefty blow to knock out a vampire." Harry replied with a smirk of his own, remembering when Hermione punched Draco in third year. His hair began to smooth and fall flat in his face, dripping rainwater.Draco looked around for a moment, between the roads. "We go this way," he said lightly, turning so they veered off in that particular direction. It was a dirt road surrounded by pastures. "Continuing on…

* * *

_When I woke up, you were passed out right next to me. I knew I couldn't just leave you there, but I didn't know what else I could do. I didn't know where your relatives lived, and I had nowhere to take you. The only place I could think of was the Leaky Cauldron. That was pretty far away, you know. I was certain I'd get in trouble if I was seen carrying an unconscious Harry Potter._

_I ended up freaking out because it was nearly dawn and I was still thinking. I knew there was only one person that might still accept me- I took you to my mistress and barely got there in time to dodge a nasty sunburn.

* * *

_

"You took me to your mistress?" Harry sputtered.

"Yes, that's what I just said," Draco replied, looking away from Harry.

"Are you mad?" Harry couldn't believe it- Draco had dragged him off to some vampire he barely knew! What a risk!

"At the time, I most certainly was," Draco muttered, ending the conversation. "Anyway…

* * *

_She just let me in without saying anything. She let me put you on the bed and I took the other side of it, to make sure she didn't try anything on you. I felt really guilty and… well, **doomed** when I fell asleep._

_Of course, when I woke up around 3 in the afternoon, she pumped me for info. I told her nothing but the truth- that I had to get you somewhere where you could recover, fast. She's put up with an awful lot of shit from me, so I still don't get why she helped me. Basically, she gave me enough money for a room at the Leaky Cauldron, and a potion that would let me go in the sun for a day. She also showed me how to use my wings. It really didn't take long, and there's not much to say about it… Just that it hurt a lot the first time I used them._

_She wouldn't let me go without a plan, though. We put our brains together. My mistress is rather clever, you see. If she hadn't been a Muggle before she got bitten, she would have put Granger to shame in every class. She's the one who came up with the lie that the Dursleys had tried to kill you, and that I had saved you. I was the one that filled in the hole about why I was there in the first place.

* * *

_

"My lover," Harry snorted. "I can't believe people actually believed you." Draco smirked and rolled his eyes.

"I was a bit surprised about that as well. However, it seems that Granger, like me, knew about your sexuality before you did." Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Draco shushed him and continued.

* * *

_Anyway, she told me that she would soon be moving and that she already had the place in mind. I asked where, but she said I'd be able to find her soon enough and sent me on my way._

_The flight to London was truly boring. The most interesting thing that happened was me causing a car wreck by accidentally distracting the driver.

* * *

_

"Was everybody okay?" Harry asked sharply. Draco nodded. "Well… I think I've warmed up enough. Let's fly." The vampire smiled and hugged Harry from behind, causing the Gryffindor to flush.

"Hold tight," Draco whispered. Harry twisted around slightly to grab his shoulders and wrap an arm around Draco's pale neck. Harry closed his eyes as the ground lurched under them, blocking out the blast of cold night as they spiraled upwards. The pasture they had been passing was gone from sight in a second. "Can you still hear me" Draco asked over the roaring wind. Harry called back an affirmative. "Alright…"

* * *

_The fun began when I landed by the Leaky Cauldron. It was about sunset by then. Would you believe that the minister of Magic was there? He was trying to talk Tom into setting up missing posters with your name on them. People already knew you were gone. When he saw me, he just stared at me for a few seconds… then he screamed like a little girl with her leg being ripped off. He totally flew the coop. He started screaming about me being a monster and murderer and all that nonsense. I ended up setting you down and loudly singing the Sailor Moon theme song to shut him up. Sadly, it worked. Then I told him the story._

_Everybody in the Leaky Cauldron heard it… My heroic tale of rescuing my lover from the terrible clutches of his Muggle family… They were quite impressed. The new Minister is a real sucker, apparently; he ordered some guy to get rid of all my wanted posters, and he informed me that only the Azkaban guards knew I was a vampire. Rita Skeeter looked like she was itching to get out her quill. She was all twitchy. She even asked me if I was really your lover, and when I said yes, she just sat down grinning and saying "delicious" over and over._

_Now, they all wanted to cart you off to Mungo's… But I knew I'd be in trouble if they did, because the Healers would recognize a vampire bite for a what it was, and you'd go blabby and tell everyone that I attacked you. I insisted that you just had a few bruises and needed some rest. I don't think Skeeter bought it, but everybody else did. I got the room for free, and I thought that was that. You'd gotten me off the hook by existing. _

_Or that was what I thought… The Minister, naturally, called all your friends and told them the sob story. It wasn't even a full hour before Charlie showed up with Granger and your pet Weasel. I had to recount the tale for them specifically. Charlie and Ron looked murderous and started plotting the mercilessly agonizing deaths of your Muggle relatives. Granger, on the other hand, took it upon herself to poke her wand at me and make me promise to take good care of you.

* * *

_

"And that's what I've been trying to do, to make up for what I've put you through," Draco concluded. "But you obviously don't want me to."

Harry said nothing. The rest of their flight went on in complete silence. Harry was shaking with cold by the time they landed in the same alley where he had found Draco. The vampire offered to warm Harry with his body; naturally, Harry refused. "Which way is it, then?"

"This way," Harry chattered, beginning to walk. He heard the nasty 'shlup' noise of Draco's wings folding into his skin, and the Slytherin put his shirt back on as they headed off. "Does it always rip like that when you pull the wings out? You smell like dead blood, even I can tell."

"Yeah, well," Draco shrugged. "It was a bit too far to walk, and I'll need a shower now."

"The Dursleys aren't going to like you."

"That's half the idea," Draco purred, forcing his milky gray eyes to glint red. "I'm sure they'll let me take your stuff if I offer their safety in exchange." Harry would have protested, but he had a sinking feeling the pit of his stomach. Draco's idea was probably the best one. They passed the flickering lights of Magnolia Crescent, and as they turned on to Privet drive, Draco burst into peels of laughter for no apparent reason. "Sorry," he chuckled. "It's just that the hope of the Wizarding World lies in a boy that grew up in a cupboard."

"I guess it is kind of funny," Harry answered with a smile. "Here we are… Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey." There it was… the plain little house, the white picket fence, the garden. It looked like a photo taken straight from a house and garden magazine. The light was on in the living room, and judging by the way it flickered, the people inside were watching television. "Well… let's get this over with." Just as Harry began to step forward, Draco grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him into shadows behind a large bush. "What the-!"

"Shh!" Draco hissed. Harry would have argued, but he heard the door swinging open. A long beam of rectangular light fell on the walkway that lead up to the house, broken by the shadow of a huge man.

"Are you certain that you heard something, Nilly?" Vernon Dursley's voice grunted. His shadow was joined by another, far taller but clearly female.

"Absolutely. Why don't you go catch the last of the show? Fill me in?" A sweet voice rang. Vernon muttered something and retired back into the house. The woman's shadow grew shorter as she stepped into the lawn. Harry could see her through the leaves of the bush. She was ridiculously tall, about 6½ feet or so. She was also ridiculously pretty. Harry recognized her to be the young black woman Charlie had been flirting with in Diagon Alley, but now he got a good look and saw why. Very nice figure. Her long hair was apple green. Harry would have assumed it was bleached and dyed, but her eyes were the same color, and they glowed faintly in the night. She was dressed in plain Muggle clothes, jeans and a purple tank top, but she couldn't possibly be a Muggle. Harry didn't know if she was even human.

She took a look around slowly. "Hello, hello, hello?" she called softly. "Come out, pretty, pretty, pretty… Here, kitty, kitty, kitty…" Her green gaze fixed on the bush Harry and Draco were hidden behind, and the pair froze, Harry holding his breath. "Okay. Don't come out. See if I care! I'm missing the show!" And with that, she stormed back into the house, slamming and locking the door behind her.

Silence reigned for the longest time. It was broken when Draco said, "You're on your own."

"Huh?"

"I can't go in there and terrorize them with her here," the vampire moaned. He sat on the pavement, his expression dazed and alarmed. "I should have known. This is what she meant when she said I would be able to find her… Here, of all places… That filthy blood-sucking _tramp_…"

Realization hit Harry like the Whomping Willow on a bad day.

"Draco… Why is your mistress at my house?"

* * *

Dun dun DUUUNNNNNNNN! Draco's mistress is at the Dursleys! OO Scary! However is Hary gonna get his stuff back? OH NO!

cough Anyway, review or "Nilly" will steal Harry's heart and eat it in front of Draco. But not really.


	14. All Harry's Base

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Let's see, who's reviews must be answered?

**Lilith-**Fey- So true. Harry's still iving in the closet/cupboard.

**Nightmare Alley-** It's all because she pays them.

**Krippity-** Vernon having an affair with Nilly? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! And the chapter names having 'twist' in them was very much intentional.

**Alexa82**- Draco was making fun of Harry when he called him "Princess Draco". I mean, harry been saying Draco's name over and over again to try and make him shut up.

**Rika-San**- Thank you fo the cookies, as always!

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 14- All Harry's Base**

"For the last god damn time, Harry, _I don't know_!" Draco snarled quietly, rubbing his temples. Harry leaned heavily against the wet bush the had hidden behind, not caring that the rain was coming down even harder and he was soaked to the bone. "I barely know the anorexic parasite!"

Defeated, Harry slumped down the side of the bush, not caring that it scratched his skin a little. "The Dursleys never let anyone stay overnight except Dudley's gang," Harry said slowly. "But she couldn't possibly have gotten in their ranks over a few short days, even if she wanted to. She's female. Dudley's gang is sexist. They'd treat her like a sex-crazed slut, even if she brought them an inch from death and poked out their eyes."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Draco muttered darkly. They stood in silence for another minute, both brooding with all their might. "Do you want to get your stuff, or not? Because, if it takes you all night to pluck up the courage and get your stuff, I'm not carrying you back to London."

"I don't want to walk to the leaky Cauldron!" Harry gasped, alarmed at the very notion that Draco could abandon him with the Dursleys. _No. Just, no!_ Draco graced him with a dazzling smile (fangless) and chuckled slightly.

"I wouldn't leave you here with them, and the _pretty pretty pretty_ parasite," Draco laughed, mocking his mistress's voice. "But I would have to find someplace to stay during the day, and your honorable Gryffindor self couldn't just abandon ME in favor of returning to London…" Harry frowned. Draco knew him too well, already. "So. Get your coat, dear, we're leaving." The vampire gave Harry a slight nudge in the direction of Number 4, Privet Drive. Harry wiped rainwater away from his jade eyes and nodded, happy that his glasses were still impervious to water.

"How am I going to do this?" he softly asked the cold and rainy night sky.

"Just walk in and demand your stuff," Draco suggested, standing and brushing Harry's black hair out of his face. He began to fix Harry's collar as well, but Harry gently knocked his hand away.

"I don't have to primp for the Dursleys."

"You might want to primp for Niles…"

"Niles?"

"My mistress. I think your uncle called her 'Nilly'. It's only reasonable that she would use different versions of her name." Harry tried to answer, but the blond shoved him a bit less gently, forcing Harry to get on his way.

It wasn't that Harry was scared. Far from it. He was just angry that he had to walk past this garden again, the garden he had slaved over in such extreme summer heat. He never wanted to cross that threshold again. Maybe, with luck, Vernon would just give him the stuff and he wouldn't have to enter at all. Stepping up to the door took forever. Past the white picket fence. Past the clump pf blue flowers. Past the clump of white flowers. Past the clump of pink flowers. Up the first step. Second step. Third. Onto the welcome mat.

Harry rang the doorbell.

His hand had barely moved away from the button before the door flew open. Draco's mistress towered over Harry, lit from behind in such a manner that she looked even more dark and tall than she truly was. "What?" she spat as a greeting.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter and I live here," Harry answered coolly. Niles, or 'Nilly' as Vernon had called her, took a shocked step backwards. Her green hair swayed behind her.

"Who is it, Nilly?" Vernon grunted from the living room.

"Oh, Harry," Nilly purred quietly, abruptly changing her tone. Her glowing green eyes softened. "You poor, soaked, DOOMED little thing. Come in, come in, sweetie, sweetie, sweetie. I haven't seen you since you were passed out underneath Draco on my bed." Harry blushed slightly. _Does she have to put it that way! _But he did allow her to welcome him into his own home. "It's your nephew," she called loudly as she swaggered her way into the living room, leaving Harry dripping in the entry.

"It's my WHAT?" Vernon roared. Harry wanted to hide, but he knew he had come in here with a purpose.

"Hello again, Uncle Vernon," Harry called, having no desire whatsoever to walk into the living room and confront the massive Muggle. "I'll just-"

"Why are you back!" the man roared, charging out of the den and nearly crashing into Harry. Tall as Nilly was, Vernon was more than her match in size; his voluminous gray sweater showed every curve of his more-than-well-rounded body. His face had purple splotches of undisguised rage. Harry cringed at the sight of the man, but his will held firm. No fear.

"I came to get my stuff," Harry said clearly. "I'll never trouble you again, if you only give it to me without causing a scene."

"Get it and be gone! It's still in Nilly's room!" Vernon growled.

"Sure," Harry said gratefully, but he had only taken two steps before pausing. "Nilly's room?" he asked slowly, turning to face his uncle, who grew more purple.

"You have the nerve to run away and still think you have a place here?" he bellowed, spit flying from his mouth. The great white whale took a gulp of air and lowered his voice, but his face remained tense and discolored, and his knuckles were whitening. "The lovely young lady stopped by three days ago and asked if we had a room to rent her. And we most certainly did have one for her!"

"You rented out my room?" Harry hissed, trying in vain to control his temper. Nilly poked her had back in.

"All your base are belong to us," she informed Harry with a smile, immediately ducking out of sight again. Harry shook his head. Her moment of sadistic humor was enough to calm him.

"I'll need my wand back, Uncle Vernon," he said slowly. The man's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed at the mention of such a magical object.

"Got rid of the electric fireplace and burned it," he grunted.

The words had hardly left his mouth before Harry launched himself into the living room, straight to the new fireplace, where he ran his fingers through the pale ashes, his mind a terrified haze. _Merlin, no. Not my wand. He can't have burned my wand…_ He gave a soft squeak of joy as his fingers wrapped around something twig-like, and he pulled it out of the fireplace tenderly. It was his wand, and despite the ash that covered it, it looked better than ever. Harry couldn't keep the grin off his face as he cleaned his wand on his cloak, and turned to face his family.

"Never burn a wand," he said conversationally. "It's likely to explode. When wizards destroy a wand, they break it in pieces." He twirled his treasure through his fingers, relishing in the swishy noise. "But I'm glad you attempted to burn it. My wand has a Phoenix core. I suppose it had enough Phoenix in it to be reborn from it's own ashes."

"What's this gibberish?" Nilly asked lightly, giving him a wink as she playfully twiddled her fingers.

"OUT!" Bellowed Vernon. "Get your stuff! Get OUT! Never bother our guests with your madness again!"

"Gladly," Harry laughed as he ran up the stairs, to his old bedroom. Nilly joined him a second later, swinging her long green hair behind her.

"Can't have you touching any of my stuff," she said with a grin.

"What stuff?" Harry asked incredulously, staring around his room. It seemed to be exactly as he left it. His trunk was in the corner. His bed still had wrinkled sheets. The small table by his bed still had the small, moving model of a Hungarian Horntail on it, which was currently asleep.

"I don't have any," Nilly giggled, as she shut the door behind her and locked it for good measure. "Unless, of course, you count the stuff in my pockets." She reached an elegant black hand into her blue jeans pocket, and when she pulled it out, it clutched a teddy bear that was half her size. Harry grinned. "I may have been a Muggle before I was bitten, Harry, but vampires have their own brand of magic. There's reasons wizards are scared of us."

"I don't really care," Harry told her honestly, as he tried to pack up with the help of his wand. He wasn't even as good at it as Tonks, so he shrugged and began to pack by hand. "I've had werewolves and giants as friends before. So far, I see no problem with having vampires as friends."

"Excellent. Would you be okay with dating a vampire, though?" Harry dropped his Horntail model, who angrily spat a tiny flame at Harry's fingers. "I'm just asking, Harry…"

"I think I'd be fine with it," Harry said slowly. "If I ever found a vampire that didn't want to keep me up all night." Nilly laughed and began to help him, making Harry jealous of the unsurpassable speed with which her fingers moved.

"Now that you've got your wand, you can make Draco immune to sunlight," Nilly informed him, her green eyes glinting in the dark and a wicked smirk on her face. "You're of age now, aren't you? The incantation is _Praesidium Helios_. You have to cast it twice daily, and it's best to make sure it works before stepping right out in the sun."

Harry was flabbergasted. "If that really works, how come Hermione hasn't drilled it though my brain yet?"

"Hermione?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Ooooh," Nilly said knowingly. "The Muggle-born genius that Draco hates with a passion." Harry nodded as the trunk finally closed shut, full of Harry's stuff, including his stash under the floorboards. Harry couldn't help it but give his wand a kiss before stashing it in his pocket. "Do you have any idea how cute it is?" Nilly sudden gushed, giggling loudly.

"How cute what is?" Harry asked her blankly, as he began to lift his trunk onto it's wheels.

"You and Draco!" the vampiress squealed. "Mates! It's so cute! He was just starting to like you when he left my old flat. You've obviously grown on him already."

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked coldly, as he began to move towards the door.

"The bite marks on your lip and the bandage on your neck," Nilly giggled. She handed Hedwig's cage to a ruffled and embarrassed Harry Potter, who shook a little more water from his hair. "Now, Harry, listen to me. You on are the way to destruction."

"And I have no chance to survive, and I must make my time," Harry groaned. Nilly smiled for a moment, then shook her head. She caught his writs right before he opened the door.

"Don't stay the Leaky Cauldron much longer. Something very… _unfortunate_… is going to happen there in three days, at eight o'clock at night."

"What-?" Nilly opened the door and escorted him out, guiding him down the stairs and sending him out the front door without letting him say anything. "But how do you-"

"Shh," Nilly said softly, stepping outside the house for a moment. "Here's how I know." She slowly hand out her long ebony arm, free of markings. "Just look, Harry." She stared at her arm for a moment, Harry staring as well.

Black lines began to form slowly across her skin, hardly visible in the darkness. They weaved together and gradually began to form a shape. A shape that looked rather like a skull, with something coming out of it's mouth…

Harry dropped his trunk and took a couple steps back, nearly falling down the stairs as he drew his wand. "No. You can't be."

"Shh," Nilly cooed. "Glamour. The 'me' you see before you isn't what I really look like. But I promise you, this pretty little mark is only skin deep…" Harry nodded his understanding. He had known of other unwilling Death eaters, like Karkaroff. "I gave you fair warning, Harry. Get away from the Leaky Cauldron."

"And just where am I supposed to go?"

"Not here, certainly," Nilly laughed. The lines on her arm vanished. "I wasn't kidding when I said all your base are belong to us. That includes Number 12, Grimmauld Place." With that, she whirled into Number 4, Privet Drive, and slammed the clean white door in Harry's face.

Silence reigned for a minute, while Harry heard the soft clicks of Draco coming toward him in the rain. "What was that all about?" he demanded, peeling a clump of soaked hair off his cheek. Harry turned toward him with a very fake grin in place.

"So, did you know she was a Death Eater?" Draco's face contorted with shocked disbelief. "I guess it's my turn to tell you a story."

* * *

Oh, dear, where are they gonna go? They don't have many options! Review or they'll have to spend the next few months camping under an overpass without any food but rats and EACHOTHER! ... wait... I bet a lot of you would LIKE that... sickos... 


	15. No More Twisted Tales

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Reviews...

Draco'sGirlForAlways- You're sick, ya know... heehee... Have I updated soon enough? Can I have a cookie?

Ttinuhpfanforever- I can't tell you what's going to happen, nor can I tell you why Niles has the Dark Mark, but I can tell you right now that she's a dirty lil liar that's not to be trusted.

Rika-San- Shhhhhh! The other fans don't know that yet! >-

Lilith-Fey- You be quiet, too! Vampires aren't THAT special! e

Krippity- Yes, we all know community housing is bad. shakes head

xquixxoticx- All Your base Are Belong To Us is from Zero Wing, I beleive.

Puffin- They'll find somewhere else, don't worry.

Siiarrei- Yes, master. bows

* * *

**Part 15- No More Twisted Tales**

Harry was never happier to be in the bathtub.

Though the tub had a black ring around the edge, the water was filled with cleansing spells that penetrated his skin and went strait to the soul. Like most things in the Wizarding World, bathing was much less labor-intensive than bathing the Muggle way, and Harry could have simply lain in the water and let it clean him. But he needed a distraction. He took another sip of the blood replenishing potion off the counter beside the tub, watching with interest as his own crimson liquids swam out of the exposed gash in his throat and became clean water because of the enchantments in the tub. His neck had still not stopped bleeding, and he figured it was stupid to leave the bandages on while bathing.

"You could have gotten Harry killed, you arrogant bastard!" Ron's voice bellowed from downstairs. The Gryffindor sighed and lathered up his black hair with shampoo. Both Ron and Hermione had been yelling at Draco for nearly two hours now; he was more than happy to stay out of it, though he felt a bit guilty for letting Draco face them alone. There was no way Draco could have foreseen his mistress being at the Dursleys, and no way in hell he could have known she was a Death Eater.

Hermione's voice drowned out Ron's obscenities. "And then you just come prancing back here, bright eyed and bushy tailed, not caring that she could have killed Harry, or WORSE! And now you have to run away again! Be ashamed!"

Harry dunked his head under the water and blew a few bubbles, determined to ignore it. Yes sir, that was a good bath, and he didn't intend to get out of it. This water would never get cold on him, and it would never make his skin wrinkle up and become prune-like. And the water smelled good, too, like some weak cologne applied days ago, somewhat musk-like. Almost like Draco… _Huh? _Harry shook that thought out of his head. _What's wrong with me?_

He could hear doors slamming all over the place as the people in the neighboring rooms got themselves situated, overpowering the sound of Hermione's yells. When the doors stopped being noisy, a ringing silence was left in the Leaky Cauldron, until…

"Love me, Harry! PLEEEEEASE LOOOOOOVE MEEEEEE!" Draco's voice trilled from the bathroom door, and Harry didn't even have enough time to look up before the blond pounced at him and tightly hugged his side, teetering over the tub's rim.

"What the-!" Harry squawked, trying to wriggle out of the vampire's grasp. His heart was hammering from the sneak-attack.

"You're my sushi and my cherry cake and I would die for you if I was still alive properly and I have no clue what I'm saying!" Draco squeaked, giving Harry a final squeeze and a light nip on the ear before hurling himself out the door, laughing like a lunatic. "I'm too sexy for my cloak!" Draco sang as he vanished down the hall. Harry remained locked in place, dripping in the tub, ready to die of confusion.

_What the hell was that about!_

"Sorry about that," Hermione's voice called. He could hear her stepping closer to the open bathroom door. "He actually started crying, and people gave us funny looks, so I had to give him a cheering charm to shut him up. I think I might have made it a bit too strong." Hermione stepped into sight with a hand covering her eyes, fumbling with the doorknob as she respectfully closed the door for Harry's privacy.

Harry was still frozen, his heart thudding in his chest. _Oh, a cheering charm, is it? _Draco was crying? Harry didn't recall hearing Ron or Hermione say anything damaging enough to make Draco cry, but he hadn't been able to hear much over the noise of the neighboring doors. "Hello there, friends! Chip chip, and tally ho! Splendid day for a game of tug-o-war!" Draco laughed down the hallway. He could hear Charlie barking orders at Ron, and apparently they were trying to tie him down, because Draco yelled, "The ropes! Dear gods, the ropes! They burn like scones in hell!"

_I hope that charm wears off soon_, Harry thought dismally. _Draco's scary when he's this happy._ Still, he found himself smiling and chuckling slightly. After all, Harry had just been glomped and kissed in the bathtub, by a blond pleading to be loved. Whether straight or gay, that was funny. Given a few more seconds to get his heart rate back to normal, it might have even been enjoyable. Harry amused himself by watching a single drop of blood cascade down his wet arm. The red liquid slid through the droplets of water and painted it like teardrops on a tissue, forming shapes like the Nile river. This, of course, was a reminder to drink another sip of Blood Replenishing potion.

Harry heard another door slamming- the door to room 4. Charlie's voice rang out angrily from the other side. "And don't come out until you've calmed down!" Harry groaned as he realized Draco had been locked in there. At least he was tied up or restrained. Whatever Charlie had used to hold him back was obviously effective. Harry couldn't hear a sound from the other room. The rest of Harry's bath went by peacefully. Harry could only be cleaner if he ceased to exist. He gave a languid stretch before climbing out of the pleasant heat and drying off.

He combed the tangles from his hair, noticing with a pleased smile that his hair was lying a little bit flatter on his head, not sticking up like a cartoon character being electrocuted. Now it just looked wild, perhaps even blacker than before. This made his skin look slightly pale… No, who was he kidding? He was definitely paler. He shook his head as he put on his glasses, still lacking lenses. There could be no more denying it. All those bites, and the addition of Draco's blood, had definitely changed him. Harry hoped it was only his appearance and vision that had changed.

Dressing wasn't much of an issue, now that the Gryffindor had clothes to change into. Dudley's hand-me-downs weren't fashionable in any way. He ended up wearing a pair of blue jeans that almost passed as fashionable since he had shrunk the waist without tampering with the rest. He had skipped over a robe entirely, favoring a black t-shirt with a silver dragon patch that had been enchanted to move. For a moment, Harry thought of the white dragon-vampire tied up in the room next to him, and Harry couldn't help it but smile. He might have an interesting reaction that shirt.

Harry ran a comb through his hair, brushed his teeth, and realized dismally that he was out of ways to primp. He had to leave the shelter of the bathroom and face the insanity of the world. That didn't really appeal to him, but a glance at his repaired watch told him he'd been in here for nearly four hours. It was with a sigh that Harry Potter walked out of his sanctuary.

Draco was singing softly to himself. Red ropes, clearly made from some sturdy magical substance, looped around his body, binding his arms behind him and his legs together. His shirt was nowhere to be seen, his ribs exposed for all to see, and his whole body was shining with bloody sweat. Harry paused at the end of the room, staring at the frail creature before him, who was looking far weaker than ever before. "By Circe, but you're a strange sight to behold, Draco," Harry eventually muttered.

Draco snapped his head up, then frantically dried off the crimson tears that had been painting his cheeks. "Sorry about _earlier_," he choked out. "Granger put me on a cheering charm after I… and… I was too cheerful to be concerned with your privacy."

"It's okay," Harry chuckled half-heartedly. "It was actually kind of funny." The vampire nodded, keeping his eyes averted and his face in the shadows. Seeing no more need for ropes, Harry knelt beside Draco and began to untie him. The ropes vanished the instant they were untied, which was a small bit of a shame, because they felt rather nice under Harry's fingers. "So, what did Hermione and Ron say that riled you up so much?" Harry asked conversationally.

Big mistake. A small choking noise left Draco's mouth, and the blond sank down to the floor, shaking with contained sobs. "Never mind," Harry said quickly, pulling him upright and removing the rope that bound his hands. "Never mind, I'm sorry. We can talk about Quidditch instead…"

"It's not so much what they _said_ as what they _did_," Draco whispered. "I thought I was good at Occlumency, but Granger, she… Legilimency." Harry felt his heart sinking, and a wave of unsuppressed nausea. "She pulled up all sorts of things that I hadn't told her, like when I told you that we needed to fake a relationship, and she saw it when I attacked you in the alley, and- and- Merlin, she _knows_, Harry. She says she's going to tell Ministry officials the truth, and she says she'll make sure you're never exposed to me again."

Harry felt as if he'd just been hurled naked into a tub of ice water. Draco was shaking like a leaf, and Harry couldn't stop himself- he put an arm around Draco's shoulder and pulled him close, letting the frail Slytherin lean against him. "They're going to kill me," Draco gasped, burying his face in Harry's chest. The white dragon patch made room for Draco. "Merlin, they're going to kill me. I attacked Harry Potter. I manipulated Harry Potter. I used and molested Harry Potter. You're still bleeding because of me. They're going to kill me."

"Umm, no," was all Harry could say. The vampire bit back a sob. "I'll lie for you. I'll stick to the story."

Before Draco could answer, the door to Room 4 jolted open. Ron, Hermione, and Charlie all stood there, wearing shoes, carrying bags, clearly about to leave. They all wore matching frowns. "Harry, mate," Ron said quickly. "You can stop pretending now. He's not going to hurt you anymore. Come with us to the Ministry." Harry didn't move. Neither did Draco, who could have been made out of disenchanted stone for all movement purposes. "Come on, Harry."

Hermione briskly walked in, setting Harry's shoes right next to his feet. "I know what he did, Harry. Don't let him trick you any more." Her brown eyes glazed with contempt as she looked over to Draco. His face was hidden entirely in Harry's shadow.

"Harry?" Charlie asked from the doorway.

The Gryffindor would have responded, but he was too busy thinking. This was bad, this was bad on so many levels. Draco had certainly done an awful lot of horrible things to Harry, but he'd given his reasons and sort of apologized. Harry didn't really mind being bitten by Draco. Though the blonde's blatant flirtation had definitely been annoying, it wasn't worth getting him in trouble. And Harry knew one thing above the others; he'd rather Draco not go back to Azkaban or be executed.

"No."

"What?" Hermione asked, confusion written in her eyes.

"Don't turn Draco in, Hermione. He hasn't really done anything wrong." The blond gasped softly, and Harry tightened his grip around Draco's slender shoulders. Hermione drew back as if she'd been slapped.

"Why are you defending him? He hurt you! He's been lying to us!"

"He had to do it!" Harry snapped. "Fine, tell the Ministry what happened! Tell them that Draco turned to me for help, and I gave it to him. Tell that that, both times he bit me, I had offered it to him. Tell them that this summer has been hell for him, and I regret not doing more to help him." Harry bit his lips, realizing how stupid that sounded.

"You're crazy, mate," Ron said loudly. "He's just been trying to eat you alive and get into your pants ever since he laid eyes on you. You should have told us the truth!"

"I was protecting him," Harry answered. "For the longest time, I didn't even know the truth, so I stuck by his story. It's not too big of a lie, you know. He did save me from the Dursleys. He got me away. He was in the area because he wanted to see me and as for my help. And what do you know… I gave it to him!" Draco's long white fingers tightened around the collar of Harry's black T-shirt, and he shifted slightly, burying his face deep into the folds of Harry's shirt. His breath was cold; Harry could feel it right through his shirt.

Ron and Hermione looked frazzled. But in the distant doorway, Charlie's frown became a smile.

"See, guys? I told you. Harry really does love Draco."

Harry's jaw dropped, and a small noise of protest caught in his mouth.

"I d-d-do not," Harry muttered. "I just don't want him to suffer any more." Ron was staring at Harry with a slack jaw and twisted eyebrows, completely shocked. Hermione seemed mortified. Charlie's grin just broadened.

"Sure you don't, Harry. Sure you don't," Charlie said sarcastically. "Come on, Hermione, Ron. Let's leave them alone for a while. I think they've got a lot to discuss." He didn't give them any other options. Since Ron and Hermione didn't budge an inch, the cool Weasley took out his fang earring and threatened to pop holes in them if they didn't leave. He was the last one out, and he gave Harry a wink as he shut the door of Room 4.

Left alone with Draco, Harry had no clue what to say or do. The blond still clung to Harry's chest for dear life, and that wasn't an exaggeration. The Gryffindor felt far too awkward, knelt beside Draco. Minutes passed in silence. Eventually, Harry's left foot began to go numb, and he shifted slightly, to lean against the wall. Draco moved with him, refusing to let go. At least one good thing had happened… Draco was no longer shaking. With a sigh, Harry curled an arm around the skinny Slytherin, draping it over his back.

"Harry," Draco eventually whispered. Harry barely hear it.

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Oh, come on, we all know Draco meant to say "I love you" instead of "thank you". Aren't they cute? Review or Harry won't EVER fall in love with Draco! NYAR! 


	16. Fluff and Stuff

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Let's see what I have to say to people about their reviews, ne?

**Shakespeares Whore-** I agree.

**Rika-San-** Eep! Yes, ma'am.

**Lina-** Thanks! I'm flattered. n.n;;

**Chocola-** I never thought I'd say this to a chao, but you're perverted. Hehehehehe!

**dArK-dAeMoIs-DeA-** No, I won't bash Hermione or Ron. I like them. They're just trying to protect Harry and they don't know the full story.

**Lilith-Fey-** FINALLY, somebody's realised that I share the same name as draco's mistress! Know why? Because I AM Draco's mistress! I figured, who better for the job than me? Anyway, ys, I know, in HBP Harry rally did become obsessed with Draco, it was so funny.

**animefreak123-** You don't want Harry to fall in love? Tisk tisk, shame on you, you mean creature.Sorry, but with the way Draco's been acting, I'm pretty sure just about anybody would fall for him.

**_

* * *

_**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY FLUFFY!**

**Part 16- Fluff and Stuff**

Harry felt far too awkward to pursue conversation with Draco. Once or twice, he opened his mouth and changed his mind. Every time he felt the desire to move, Draco's fingers would clutch him a little tighter, and he would stay. Time wore on. Despite the many thoughts racing through Harry's head, he was getting bored just sitting there. Deciding it was safe to do so, Harry began to draw shapes on Draco's back with his fingers. The blond didn't react, a fact Harry was most thankful for. Harry continued to draw little circles, then little squares, then little stick figures.

A small stick figure of James Potter stood invisible on Draco's shoulder. Moving up to the blonde's neck, Lily waved her wand at something. Sirius and Remus, as a dog and a werewolf, romped on the vampire's shoulder blades. Almost on Draco's side, Hermione and Ron held each other's hands, with all the other Weasleys standing behind them. A tiny Voldemort lay in five pieces, rather low on Draco's back, with great big X's for eyes. At the very center of his back, Harry's fingers drew a small Draco. Then Harry hesitated. He should put himself on this invisible masterpiece as well. But where? Near Hermione and the Weasleys?

Harry shook his head, deciding that the best spot for him was right next to Draco. It was only after he'd drawn his own invisible stick figure that he realized how close they were; Harry could see the tiny lines where his nails had scratched in Draco's figure, and he saw that his stick figure's hand was touching Draco's.

"That's beautiful," Draco mumbled. Harry's hand whipped away. Did Draco know what was drawn on his back? No, he was asleep. Dull gray light crept in through the gap between the curtains, and Harry vaguely realized it was a couple hours into the morning. "Should do that for real some day." Draco's voice trailed away to nothing, and his face slid downwards a few inches, coming to rest on Harry's chest. His arm was slung over Harry's waist languidly, and it was quite clear that Draco was comfortably situated for a long snooze. Harry took a deep breath. _Great, now I'm stuck._

_Still, it's not that bad,_ Harry reasoned with himself. Careful not to tip himself over, he reached out and barely managed to catch hold of a pillow off the bottom bunk. If he was stuck being Draco's mattress, he might was well get some shut-eye too. Harry cautiously leaned forward, put the pillow behind his back, and allowed himself to sink lower to the floor, getting a bit more comfortable. Draco sank down with him, mumbling something under his breath about sushi as he gently squished Harry and then let go. Harry couldn't help it but smile to himself. Draco was acting cuddly in his sleep.

It wasn't long before Harry's eyelids drooped and fell shut, the world becoming a cozy black blur to him as he entered the realm of dreams.

Harry awoke to the sensation of somebody poking him in the side. "Shtobbit," he grumbled tiredly, not wanting to open his eyes, which he could tell were crusted over with sleep. "Goway."

"Lunch," Charlie's voice chuckled from the darkness. Harry blearily opened his eyes.

"Ouch! Shut the curtains!"

"But they _are_ shut…" Harry groaned and opened his eyes again, flinching at the light but getting used to it. Charlie was knelt in front of him, holding out a tray of sandwiches, which smelled heavily of roast beef and garlic mustard. "Careful, don't jostle Draco, he won't thank you for it." Harry woke up a bit more as he realized that Draco was still using him as a pillow. His pale blond hair was a terrible mess, but he looked as happy as a kitten sleeping in the sun after consuming a bowl of warm milk.

"Thanks, Charlie," Harry mumbled, wiping his eyes and blinking against the light as he reached out to take a sandwich half. "How are Ron and Hermione?"

"Absolutely livid," the eldest remaining Weasley chuckled as he shook his head, red hair swaying. "They just don't seem to appreciate the genius of it. Draco pulled off an excellent trick there. It kept him out of Azkaban, it kept your friends from killing him- and, hey, it even kept you from killing him!" Harry nodded slowly. "I'm surprised you went along with it. I mean, your worst enemy just walks up, attacks you, and then asks you to risk everything pretending to be his gay lover!" Charlie actually laughed at that, and Harry grinned.

"I didn't have too much of a choice in the matter. He had everybody convinced long before I knew what was going on, and I wasn't going to risk blowing his plans to hell before I even knew why he needed to lie." Careful not to shake Draco, Harry took a bite of his roast beef sandwich. He chewed it slowly. What was that weird bitter taste? "What's on this sandwich?"

"Just mayonnaise, mustard, and roast beef," Charlie shrugged. He sat on the floor before Harry, his slightly tight-looking jeans creasing in odd places. With a sigh, Harry took another bite, near the center of the sandwich. The bitter flavor was stronger. So strong, in fact, that Harry gagged. "Harry?" Charlie asked uncertainly.

Harry clapped a hand around his throat. His whole mouth and throat had suddenly gone completely numb, that horrible bitterness overcoming all of his senses. It was with a sense of dawning horror that Harry realized he couldn't swallow… and nor could he breath. That numbness was spreading. Harry frantically clapped his hand over his throat, trying to communicate to Charlie that he was choking. He elbowed Draco in the head at some point, but he had bigger problems.

Charlie's face twisted sharply as he fumbled for his wand, looking almost as scared as Harry felt. The lack of oxygen was starting to get to Harry's head, and his view of Room 4 began to swim before him. Charlie was fidgeting, talking to himself in a high, panicked voice, trying to figure out what spell to do. Harry tried to cough, speak, breath, do anything at all, but he found he could do none of these things. He began to crumble into the floor, his whole body starting to go numb from lack of air.

A white blur shot up from next to Harry, grabbing the wand away from Charlie. Through the haze of his senses, Harry head Draco's voice hiss, "_Accio Sandwich!_"

The bite Harry had been chewing sailed out of his mouth, landing an inch away from Draco's foot. Harry took a shuddering breath, making his head stop spinning. "Are you alright?" Coughing, Harry turned his green eyes upward and looked into Draco's silver ones, which were creased with fear.

"I'll be fine," Harry croaked. Taking his wand back, Charlie conjured up a cup, cast _Aguamenti_, and handed Harry a glass of fresh water. His hands were pale and trembling. Harry gratefully took the water and chugged it, feeling the numbness begin to vanish, the bitter taste washing out of his mouth. Draco was gently rubbing his back. "That was scary."

"No kidding," Draco said grimly. "It's not how I wanted to wake up. You need to eat slower."

"I wasn't eating fast at all!" Harry protested, happy that his breathing had returned to normal. "In fact, I wasn't even done chewing it before I choked. That sandwich was horribly bitter. It tasted like poison!" The word had barely left his mouth before both Charlie and Draco snatched up sandwich halves, peeling the bread apart and inspecting the individual ingredients with suspicion. Harry leaned back and closed his eyes, trying not to worry. Now that he thought about it, the way he'd choked was very strange. The sandwich hadn't even been lodged in his throat. It was like that bitterness had magically made it impossible for him to breath.

"But they seemed okay when I made them," Charlie sighed, perplexed. "I had one downstairs. They haven't been out of my sight and I used the same ingredients for all of them…" Giving the sandwich in his hand a benevolent glare, he took a bite.

"Don't-!" both Harry and Draco protested. Chewing thoughtfully, Charlie made a great spectacle out of taking second and third bites, looking more and confused as he swallowed them.

"I don't taste anything bitter," the Weasley stated, shaking his head. His fang earring swayed several inches before his shoulder-length red hair. "All I taste is wheat bread, mayonnaise, roast beef, and… garlic mustard." Draco's breath hitched. Charlie seemed to have caught the same thing.

"What?" Harry asked wildly.

"How many times has Draco bitten you?" Charlie asked sharply.

"I dunno," Harry answered slowly. "Twice on the neck, twice on the lips, I think." The vampire and wizard exchanged dark looks.

"And you had my fangs lodged in your neck for a while…"

"And it's still bleeding," Charlie muttered. "And he had a few gulps of your blood when you tried to stop the bleeding-"

"And we tried to get my blood directly into his veins by sticking a bloody washcloth to his throat," Draco concluded with a groan. He sank down to the floor, looking like hell, his face drawn with stress. "Your vision's improved so much that you don't need glasses. You're paler. You're hair's changed." Harry didn't say anything. He knew where this was going. Draco refused to look up at him. "I think you're beginning to change, little by little. It would explain a lot."

"It would certainly explain why a little bit of garlic mustard nearly finished you off," Charlie added. Harry still didn't speak, looking down at his pale hands. They were trembling slightly and quite sweaty. Draco, noticing, set his own cold hands on Harry's and held them still.

Yesterday, Harry would have pulled his hands away and yelled at the blond. Now Harry just let himself be touched. It was comforting. Draco knew a lot more about vampires than Harry did; he would conquer this. "Are you okay?" Draco asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied. "I don't think I need to worry until I get funny urges to neck anybody that gets near me. I'll just have to cut garlic from my diet. It's not much of a loss." Draco smiled softly. A few moments passed in silence, Charlie fidgeting nervously. Harry could tell he felt guilty for giving Harry something that was poisonous to him, though he wasn't aware of it at the time.

"Are you still hungry?" Charlie asked abruptly. Draco snorted, but Harry grinned and nodded. "This time, it'll be a tuna sandwich, without any mustard." He stood and marched out the door, looking determined to do something right. Harry was left alone with Draco, in the room that seemed too bright even with the curtains shut.

"So," Harry said uneasily, looking down at their hands, still clasped together. "You saved me."

"I did, didn't I?" Draco whispered. "I'll only have to do it two or three more times for us to be even." Harry managed to laugh at that, but Draco was quite serious. "You really gave me a scare."

"I really gave _me_ a scare," Harry said quietly. "For a second there, I thought I was going to die."

"And you might have, if I hadn't woken up…" Draco's pale fingers tightened around Harry's for a moment, and Harry had to push some rather dark thoughts out of his head.

"How am I supposed to repay you?"

"Excuse me? I'm still indebted to you," Draco reminded him, but Harry wouldn't hear of it.

"Just name one thing," Harry demanded. "Er, something that I can actually do." He looked up and stared into the vampire's gray eyes, watching the thoughts race through them. Draco seemed to get more and more nervous as he thought. Draco eventually looked away, bit his lip, and looked back up at Harry. His eyes clearly stated that he was preparing for nothing short of a punch to the face.

"Would you give me a chance?"

All the muscles in Harry's throat tensed up at once. Harry had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. Certainly, he was capable of… giving Draco a chance. But he really didn't want to. He truly hated the idea of being gay, and the fact that it was DracoFucking Malfoy still blocked all Harry's images of a good relationship.

"I'm not a Malfoy anymore," Draco whispered, lowering his eyes. "I'm just me now, I'm just Draco. I'll do anything. Just give me a chance." He was holding as still as stone. Harry tired to get rid of the lump in his throat, but that just wasn't happening. "I'm not asking you to rip off your clothes and jump in bed with me, just stop shoving me away and yelling whenever I want to be near you."

"I…" Harry squeaked.

"I'll help you defeat Voldemort!" Draco hissed, as he stood up and began to pace. "We could even kill him together, I hold him, and you punch! I'll get Snape to be nicer to you! I'll… I'll learn how to cook and clean, and I'll dress up like a House Elf and tend to your every whim!" He was definitely ranting.

"That's not necessary…"

"What do I have to do, Harry?" the vampire demanded, whirling to face him, eyes flashing red. He wasn't angry, just desperate. "Would you like me if I took a potion and turned myself into a girl? I can do that, if it's just the gay issue."

"Don't do that!" Harry gasped, standing. He realized, as soon as the last syllable fled his lips, that he'd announced plain and clear that he didn't desire a female. _Great, so I'm officially gay,_ Harry thought wildly. _But this is still Draco Malfoy!_

The blond turned away, running a pale hand through his silky hair. His hands were trembling. He seemed absolutely terrified, now that Harry was watching him. Was he that scared of being rejected? When Draco turned back to Harry, his expression was pleading.

"I promise," Draco whispered, "that I'll do everything I can to make you happy. Even if you turn me down." That broke down Harry's last wall. This wasn't a Malfoy in front of him. This was just _Draco_. Harry's breath hitched as he slowly reached out, taking the pale Slytherin's clammy hands in his own warm ones. "Harry?" Draco's voice wavered.

"You'd better keep that promise," Harry said firmly. "But if I ever catch you dressed up as a House Elf or trying on bras, I'll dump you like-" He was silenced by a great shriek of delight. Draco's lips instantly set about the task of smothering the Gryffindor, who laughed and tried in vain to peel himself away from the vampire's crushing embrace. Harry opened his mouth to tell Draco not to move too fast, but his lips were seized by Draco's fangs. A familiar feeling of euphoria swept over Harry, who found himself leaning into Draco's chest.

Just as Harry began to melt into that sensation, the door opened with a dramatic clatter. He gasped as Draco pulled away, turning to the door. As his head cleared, he focused on the doorway, feeling a brief stab of embarrassment, having been caught in such an act. But it was just Charlie, bearing a plate of tuna sandwiches and a look of shock.

He looked back and forth between the two, who seemed frozen with their arms around each other. A smile slowly replaced his surprised expression.

"This definitely calls for Butterbeer."

* * *

KILL ME! Get these images of Harry and Draco getting drunk togethor and doing obscene thingsOUT OF MY HEAD! ... er, I mean... review? Please? 


	17. Poor Little Draco

_**A Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

**BY THE WAY, ALL... Sorry, no drunk!Harry/Draco. Justtipsy!Harry/Draco. I'm sorry I went so long without an update.**

**Rika-San-** Is Draco being more Draco-like yet?

**Spazishness-** I'm amazed that somebody else knows where I got my quotes! Congradulations on recognising Two the Ranting Gryffon!

**Krippity-** NO NILES AND VERNON ARE NOT XXXXing EACHOTHER! Niles is ME, you dolt! Wonder why my name on is Niles? Yeah! I'm Niles! I'M NOT "WITH" VERNON! Gaaaaah!

**Palm13-** Thank you for the silver cantalope!

**Arisa-san-** ... Less... Slash? I DON'T KNOW KNOW THE MEANING OF THOSE HORRIBLE WORDS!

**Dark Wolf-** I wrote this story for the same reason I wrote my other stories: I'm crazy like that.

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 17- Poor Little Draco**

Several Butterbeers later…

Charlie lay on his stomach, sipping idly at his second Butterbeer as he flipped through the pages of a Muggle phonebook. He was propped up on the top bunk of the bed, sheets wrapped around his jean-clad legs in an impressive knot. One hand idly flipped pages while the other played with his elongated fang earring. He was talking softly, mostly to himself, but partially to the two wizards on the bunk below.

"Shamrock Hotel… Bedraggled Beds? No, better look at the places labeled 'Inn'. The Red Pillow Inn… The Dusty Mattress Inn? Ah, I know! Let's stay at the White Ferret Inn!"

"Har har," Draco muttered, casting a mutinous look at the top bunk as he finished off the last of his Butterbeer. He was laying with his head rested on Harry's stomach. He seemed rather smug about being in this position, especially seeing as Harry came nowhere close to allowing him the use of his belly as a pillow. "Maybe you wouldn't find it so damn funny if I turned _you_ into a ferret and bounced you off the walls."

"I didn't mean that," Charlie began, slightly surprised by Draco's offense. He had clearly felt Draco's glare pierce him through the mattress and support of the top bunk, though Draco wasn't within his sight. "It's a real inn. It looks better than the others…"

"I'm not staying in any place with ferrets in the name, Weasley."

"We could always sleep under an overpass," Harry chuckled. Draco smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the way Harry's chest rumbled slightly as he spoke. "Do you like that idea?"

"What?" Draco murmured.

"Care to sleep under an overpass?" Harry smirked, knowing that the blond hadn't heard a word he said.

"Mm, that depends who I get to share my newspaper blanket with…" He drew a circle on Harry's side with his finger, eliciting a squeak from the Gryffindor. "I'm joking. I'll go anywhere but the gutter or the White Ferret Inn. I'm just not in any position to complain."

"Damn right, you aren't," Charlie assured him from above. "Some folk might kill to cuddle the famous Harry Potter." Draco gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Dobby'. Harry snorted with amusement and took another swig of Butterbeer. "Exactly."

Harry yawned and stretched slightly, careful not to knock Draco off his fleshy pillow. Sure, he may be Draco's new boyfriend, but he still didn't feel completely comfortable with the vampire's head so close to his crotch. Harry felt the creeping suspicion that Draco had slowly moved quite a few inches South along the Gryffindor's body while they had been talking. How the conversation had come to their need to flee, Harry couldn't say; but he was relieved that they had gotten to it, and finding new lodgings wasn't as unpleasant when slightly tipsy.

"But the White Ferret is so much cheaper than the others," Charlie was explaining to Draco.

"Cheaper?" the blond repeated coldly. Sensing danger, Harry set a hand over the blonde's chest, in case he had to grab him and hold him back.

"Well, of course it's cheaper, it doesn't have as nice of a view…"

"Nothing pretty about the white ferret, now, is there?" Draco hissed. He moved slightly, as if about to get up, but Harry pressed his hand down on Draco's chest to hold him still.

"Calm down," Harry whispered in his ear. "He's not trying to be mean."

"He's doing a damn good job without trying…"

"What's the next best thing?" Harry called up to Charlie, while trying to distract Draco from his rage by tickling his abs lightly. It must have worked, because Draco relaxed and rested his head against Harry's gut again.

"Some Blue Heron Inn. Why are all these places named after colorful animals or expired bedding?" Charlie mused.

"It'll do. It's just a temporary place. It's not like we'll be spending weeks there."

"But where would we go to after that?" Charlie demanded, as he rolled over and dangled his flaming red head over the edge of the bunk. "None of use really have a house to go to. Nilly's at your place, the Burrow was destroyed, Draco's been disowned, and Hermione's house is being watched by Death Eaters."

"You act as if I'm not filthy stinking rich," Harry laughed lightly. "I could probably buy my own mansion right now." Charlie rolled his eyes and vanished back into the upper bunk, but Draco's reaction was far different. He sat up so fast that he crashed his head painfully on the upper bunk, staring at Harry with wide gray eyes.

"You really are rich?" he asked excitedly. "That wasn't just a rumor?" Harry cracked up.

"Rich and famous," Harry assured him. Draco's eyes glazed and he lay back down on his beau, a great big smile plastered on his face.

"I really know how to pick 'em," Draco congratulated himself and he lightly nuzzled the Gryffindor's midriff. "Rich, famous, cute, and _modest_. _Score_." Harry tired to stifle his laughter. At least he now knew for a fact that Draco hadn't been in it for money. He had known that Draco was after the protection of Harry's name. "But then… Why have you lived with the Dursleys? Why do you always dress like an elephant?" Harry sighed, realizing he had some storytelling to do.

"Ugh, I don't want to hear this all over again," Charlie groaned. The bunk shifted above Harry and Draco as the oldest remaining Weasley moved down the ladder. "I'm going to get Hermione to… er, _fellytone_ the people at this Blue Heron place and see if there's any room available…"

"Telephone," both Harry and Draco corrected him. With a shrug, Charlie retired from the room, closing the door of Room 4 behind him. "So…"

"I don't want to explain it all over again," Harry pleaded with Draco. "It's too time consuming. I'd rather just lie here and drink Butterbeer."

"But I have to know!" Draco whined, sitting up and setting his Butterbeer on the bedside table.

"No, you don't!"

"Yes!"

"No!" And Harry stuck his tongue out at Draco, relishing in feeling so childish. This was the wrong move. Harry's Seeker reflexes were useless against Draco's snake-like strike. Draco's objective was clearly to bite the target- the target being Harry's tongue. Harry hadn't been able to dodge it, but he'd managed to zip his tongue back into the safety of his mouth before the Slytherin nipped his lips. Draco didn't give him time to enjoy it. He instantly pulled back away from Harry with a mad glint in his eye.

"I'm going to kill the Dursleys," Draco hissed.

"But Dumbledore was the one that-"

"What's the use in trying to kill Dumbledore? I'll kill the Dursleys!"

"But then I'll have no magical protection!"

"You have _me_. Let's go buy condoms."

"What! I-" Draco silenced him by pressing his lips roughly against the Gryffindor's. "Not fair," Harry muttered a moment later, having barely been able to summon enough willpower to shove Draco away. He had his old smirk in place, though his eyes had a hungry glint in them.

"Of course it isn't. I saw an weakness and I went for it."

"What are we, dueling?" Harry sarcastically snorted. Draco grinned and nodded. "Oh, we are? Well, I hope you're ready to lose again…" Harry slowly sat up with a smirk, having fun pretending.

"Lose again? Last time was a draw, _Potter_. You took control of my snake."

"Life's just not fair, is it?" Harry chuckled. He brushed a bit of his jet black hair out of his eyes, exposing his scar on whim.

"Not when you're going against Dark Wizard Harry Potter," Draco agreed. "Merlin, that sounds stupid. We have to come up with a better name for you." That took Harry aback. Draco chose the strangest times to bring this up. First when he was lying in a bathtub, bleeding all over- and now in bed, while Harry was STILL bleeding? Now that Harry thought about it, it had been a while since he'd had some blood replenishing potion, but he felt fine enough.

"A better name?" Harry repeated, shaking his thoughts out of his head.

"Yes! Maybe the Dark Lord will have a little more respect for you if you run about claiming to be a Dark Wizard." Harry's thoughts whirled. But what about the general public? Didn't they practically idolize him as being the ultimate Anti-Dark Wizard? "Perhaps an anagram of your name? It's Harry James Potter, right? Hmm… Master, Master something. That leaves the letters in Harry, then J, E, P, O, and T."

"You're quick with anagrams, aren't you?" Harry groaned. He didn't really want to be called Master anything.

"Torreyjahp?" Draco mumbled, looking away from Harry. He ran a hand through his silky blond hair as he thought aloud. "No. Merlin, your name sucks, Harry. Master… Rajepthory? Master… Hmm, Master…"

"Will Harryjepot do?"

"_Harryjepot_? Yuck, no!" Draco hissed as he stood. "Jeptyrahro… Tyraejephro…"

"What about Master Tyrael?"

"Tyrael is an archangel," Draco pointed out, turning to look at Harry.

"Oh. Never mind…"

"Alright, screw the anagrams. How does Vorgalmortis sound to you?"

"An awful lot like Voldemort," Harry said instantly. Draco flinched, eyes darkening for a moment. But a split second later, they opened rather wide, as if Draco were staring at something bright and beautiful, though his gaze was directed at Harry's scar.

"It would certainly get the point across…"

"I don't like it."

"People might cringe at the similarity…"

"I am _not_ going to use that name."

"Are you not learning the Dark Arts?" Harry sighed, feeling not need to answer Draco. "Are you not bent on murdering the Dark Lord?" Harry began to speak, but Draco cut him off. "Bent. On. _Murder._ Look at your similarities, Harry. Look at the magic you've done. Look at how many times you've defeated the most powerful Dark Wizard of the age! _Look what you're becoming!_" With that, Draco's pale hand vaulted towards Harry's neck. Before Harry could move or make any noise, the bandages that had held the holes in Harry's neck shut were torn away. The small young man bit back a gasp of shock as cold air hit the protected skin of his throat.

"What did you do that for!" Harry yelled, grabbing the bandage back out of Draco's pale hands. The blond only shook his head, grabbed Harry's empty hand, and brought it up to his neck.

"Do you feel that?" Draco asked slowly, a small smile decorating his lips. Harry's brilliant green eyes opened wider. Indeed, he did feel it. Beneath his fingers was a slimy layer of congealed blood… and two little bumps. Scars, not bleeding flesh wounds. "If you don't want to be a vampire, you'd better tell me now, because at this rate you won't be a wizard next week."

"I don't want to be vampire!" Harry squeaked, trying hard to keep his voice down. "I don't want to Dark Wizard, either!" Draco nodded and gently wiped the crusty old blood off Harry's neck with the bandage, brushing his lips lightly over the petrified wizard's forehead. His hand brushed over the white dragon patch on Harry's black shirt.

"Think about it, Harry... Vorgalmortis and his Dragon…" Harry still didn't move. Draco went lower, taking a moment to lock gazes with Harry. He voice slowly grew soft and smoother. His gaze softened slightly. "We could have forever, you know. We'll find a way to kill Voldemort. We'll get rid of the Death Eaters. We can live happily ever after." Their noses touched lightly. Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Harry could feel Draco's lips moving against his own as he began to speak again. "I don't want you to get old without me and leave me alone forever. Harry, I-"

"PACKING TIME!" Charlie bellowed from the doorway. Harry and Draco both cried out and jumped up in shock, grabbing each other tightly. Charlie laughed wickedly as he dropped a suitcase next to them. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I? Ha ha!"

"Nothing important. We were only plotting your agonizing demise," Draco hissed. "The first of many agonizing demises to come." Charlie only laughed louder.

"That doesn't surprise me at all." He moved back towards the door, still chuckling madly. "I'd be plotting my demise too, if I were you… There wasn't any space left at the Blue Heron. We're staying at the White Ferret Inn."

There was a ringing silence. Draco looked ready to die of mortification. Harry plugged his ears as Draco's mouth began to open.

**_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_**

* * *

Poor Draco! Staying in the White Ferret Inn... how embarrasing! You just know Ron and Hermione are going to torment him with ferret jokes! And Charlie picked a really bad time to interrupt! Now, review, or the Death Eaters will **find them** at the White Ferret Inn! OO 


	18. Twisted, Twisted Ferret

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Sorry about the late update. Writer's block, ya know... I'll answer reviews at the BOTTOM from now on.

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 18- Twisted, Twisted Ferret**

"I DON'T WANNA GOOOOOOOO!"

"Shut up, Draco!" Harry hissed, considering using his sock to gag the blond. Socks seemed to be particularly effective weapons against Malfoys… _Of course, Draco isn't a Malfoy anymore_. Harry couldn't help it but grin at the struggling vampire, who's shiny black trousers were wrinkled from scuffling about and trying to escape his bonds. This would not have been possible if the sun-blocking _Praesidium Helios_ charm failed, which, thankfully, it hadn't. After Draco's third attempt to shove Charlie into the path of a large vehicle, they'd had no choice but to tie him onto a suitcase and carry him behind them like luggage. He made his dislike of the situation perfectly clear; Ron was toting Hedwig and Pigwidgeon in the same cage, because Draco kept spitting at the Snowy owl.

They were currently walking across London, on their way to the White Ferret Inn. Although they received a fair few stares for walking around with owls and a blond guy in a robe tied to a suitcase, it was safer than trying to fly there. They would have Apparated, were it not for their luggage. They weren't even halfway there and the journey was rather unpleasant so far.

"Are we supposed to cross when the sign shows a red hand, or a stick figure?" Charlie asked when they reached their first street crossing with a light involved.

"Red hand!" Draco chirped helpfully.

"Stick figure," Harry and Hermione said immediately. Charlie glared at the back of Draco's silky blond head as he waited for the light to change. Harry shook his head. _He must **really** not want to come._ Draco only smiled pleasantly from the back of Harry's trunk, humming a tune that he'd clearly invented on the spot. Still, Harry could tell Draco was extremely upset, from the way his eyes kept shifting around, the way he bit his lips, and the way his eyebrows were drawn.

The rest of their trek across London was rather eventful. Though firmly latched onto their luggage, Draco managed to create no less than eleven potentially deadly situations. One of Draco's stunts involved digging his heels so deeply into the road that only a collision with a speeding semi managed to dislodge him. Had Draco not been a vampire and Harry's trunk not magically enhanced, there probably would have been a blond corpse splattered on top of Harry's scattered school things. Harry had suffered a rather painful crushed ankle from the incident. "Damn lucky that's all," Charlie assured him later.

Draco's worst stunt by far happened about three minutes after that. Upon catching sight of a Muggle police officer, Draco began to scream hysterically, throwing in a few choice words, like "kidnap," and "rape," and "dear Lord, help me." The second the policeman saw the blond tied onto Harry's trunk, the three Gryffindors ran for their lives. Though not nearly as dangerous, Harry later admitted that escaping the police was more challenging than fighting Voldemort and his Death eaters. Their flight was made all the harder by Draco's screaming which alerted the cops to their presence whenever they tried to hide and catch their breath; it also encouraged innocent bystanders to help the cops along.

It was really Hermione's genius that saved them; it was her bright idea to transfigure the lot of them into boxes and trash cans for about fifteen minutes. Draco didn't pull that stunt again, though impersonating Ron's voice and insulting everyone participating in an outdoor martial arts lesson was bad enough.

By the time the group finally reached the White Ferret Inn, the battered, rat-infested box looked as welcoming as Hogwarts castle. They had a few bruises and mild injuries in need of repair, and they desperately needed to rinse the sweat off their exhausted bodies. It was a rather cute place, from the outside; the entire wall had been covered with a mural featuring many adorable children holding ferrets in a playground. Ron and Harry sat beside a larger-than-life blond with many freckles, waiting for Charlie and Hermione to get them all registered.

Draco was too busy sulking to talk.

"You know, Harry," Ron was saying. "That was actually quite an adventure."

"No kidding," Harry answered, using his black shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. He wheeled Draco a bit closer, determined to keep an eye on the Slytherin, who was behaving extremely Slytherin-ish at the time. "Some of it was actually fun."

"And a good way to get back into shape for Quidditch," Ron added brightly. "Taking Draco for a walk."

Harry couldn't help it but laugh. "He's not a dog, Ron!"

"He's certainly acting like one," Ron insisted, giving Draco an evil leer.

"He's acting like a snake. There's a difference there." Harry couldn't help it but be amused; why he still felt like defending Draco, he had no idea.

"Maybe he's acting like a bloody ferret," Ron continued. Draco attempted to light Ron on fire with his crimson eyes.

"Bloody? Only whenever possible," Draco muttered. Harry grinned broadly.

"Oh, stop sulking. Just look at this place. You're easily the best-looking ferret here. You put them all to shame." His compliment only seemed to bother Draco more; he refused to look at them, but his white hands clenched into fists and a clearly inhuman snarl left the blonde's throat. Harry and Ron both fell silent for a few moments. "Er… Draco, what's your problem? I mean, just because you got turned into a ferret and bounced around a bit-"

"For trying to hex Harry," Ron added.

"- Yes, for trying to hex me… That really shouldn't affect you this much." while Harry spoke, he actually began to wonder if Draco's anger towards the Inn wasn't entirely due to Crouch's ferrety punishment.

"That's not why I…" Draco began, but suddenly he looked alarmed and turned away from them, biting his lip furiously. Harry froze, curiosity overwhelming him. All was silent.

"Yes?" Ron pressed after a minute.

Draco's voice became low and rasping, his face still turned away from both of them. "_Fuck you_, you prying, obnoxious, loathsome, misshapen, despicable-"

"DRACO!" Harry gasped.

"- Foul, odious, revolting, repugnant, sordid, vexatious, bellicose, pugnacious-"

"I get the idea," Ron spat. His fists were knotting.

"- Ghastly, defunct troglodyte," Draco concluded heatedly. He took a deep shuddering breath and kept his face turned away from the Gryffindors.

"Are you done?" Harry asked quietly. Draco's back and hands were trembling.

"No. Untie me," the blond demanded.

"Not until we're in the room," Charlie's voice cut in. He waltzed up looking as cool as a frozen cucumber, swinging the room key in circles around his pinky. For a split second, he looked like a slightly younger Bill. Harry shook the mental image of the eldest of the Weasley brothers out of his head. There were better times to mourn. "And not until we've blocked every exit. You're not running away on us."

As Harry picked up the trunk again, Draco bit out, "If the room is decorated with ferrets, you will soon be joining the Longbottoms in St. Mungo's." Harry knew that wasn't an insult directed at Neville and his family; it was just a threat, so he shouldn't think much of it. Charlie led them to room 128, whistling cheerfully and ignoring Draco.

Charlie fitted the key into the lock, turned it, and pulled the door open, dramatically slow. Everybody but Draco gasped.

"Oh, no," Draco moaned. "Merlin, no. I'm going to hurt you, Weasley… No, no, no…"

The room was like a ferret fan's dream come true. The white wallpaper was covered in cute cartoon ferrets. The three beds each a giant ferret-shaped pillow on them. Somebody had gone to the trouble of spray painting the TV white (not the screen, of course) and painting the most adorable little ferrets all over it. The switch plates all bore ferrets as well. The carpet… ferrets. The lamp shade… ferrets. Harry glanced into the bathroom. The shower curtain… ferrets. The soap and the soap dish looked like a mother ferret and her little ferret babies.

"This is a nightmare. Why am I not waking up? Oh, Harry, kill me," Draco whimpered. His eyes were the size of dinner plates.

Ron finally gave in to temptation. "You know, this place kind of reminds me of someone," he barely managed to snigger.

"Kill me, kill me, kill me," Draco was chanting. Harry helpfully clamped a hand over Draco's eyes to block out all the ferrets. He was slightly alarmed when he felt sweat all over Draco's face.

"Well, bring him in," Hermione said briskly, finally having gotten over the shock of the room's first impression. "He'll live. Or, at least, do something close to it. I'll block the doors." Harry gently rolled Draco in, keeping his hand over the vampire's eyes.

Charlie's face was screwed up with suppressed laughter. Finally, he could stand it no more, and he choked out, "Just look at all these ferrets! What a place for a family reunion! Eh, Draco?"

The next few seconds came as a horrifying blur to Harry. One minute, the ropes held a mortified Draco down to Harry's trunk. The next moment, they were gone completely. Pain ripped through Harry's arm as the blond twisted it off his face, and before the Gryffindor had time to move he had been hurled across the room on his back. His thin shirt tore from the friction with the carpet, and his skin burned from the rough contact. Draco's hand was clutched around Hermione's wand wrist so hard that the fingers were digging through her skin. Globs of blood began to pool around Draco's fingers as Harry watched. The surprised witch was shrieking in pain and uselessly trying to pull her hand away.

"Draco!" Harry cried, trying to sit up. "_STOP!_"

The vampire's face was contorted with fury. Suddenly, he looked exactly like his father did when Harry freed Dobby. Except for the red eyes and fangs. "Don't you talk about my family," Draco snarled at Charlie. "_Putori Oppugno_!" Hermione screamed as Draco whipped her arm about, performing the wand movements to accompany the incantation. About ten monstrous ferrets streamed out of Hermione's wand, all white with massive red eyes and abnormally large teeth, all headed straight towards Charlie.

Ron sprang forward with a cry, getting in the path of the ferrets right before they hit his brother. Harry watched with morbid fascination as the creatures swarmed all over Ron's body, biting, clawing, trying to do as much damage as possible. Ron shrieked as he fell over, and writhed as he tried to knock the ferrets away, but they were far too fast for him. Charlie fumbled for his wand and tried to aim at them, but it was useless.

Harry stumbled to his feet, watching as Draco tore his hand out of Hermione's wrist and sucked the smeared blood off his fingertips. Hermione, sobbing, stumbled away from him, dropping her wand and cradling her damaged wrist.

Draco cast one more venomous look at the Weasleys… then he began to change. His nose became longer, pinker. White fur began to sprout all over his pale body. He got smaller and smaller inside his clothes, ears shifting higher on his head and becoming circular-

"He's an Animagus!" Harry gasped to no-one in particular. "No- WAIT!" A little white ferret bounced out of the pool of clothes left on the floor, and hurled itself out the door as if there were a dragon after him. Harry leapt over Ron, resolving to check on his friend after Draco was caught. Even as a ferret, Draco seemed to have unnatural speed.Though Harry vaulted out the door and tore after him down the hall, the chase only lasted a mere ten seconds. Harry just wasn't fast enough.

Draco was gone.

* * *

Oh, no! Draco ran awayand Ron's being attacked by rabid ferrets! OO Draco wasn't kidding when he said he'd hurt them! If you don't review, Ron will become a wereferret. You know... werewolf... wereferret?

Anyway... reviews.

**Trunks-** I'm fine. Just writer's block.

**Spazishness-** What what did you mean by non-Mary Sue?

**Dracozchick-** Charlie has a fang earring because he's trying to look like Bill. Well... Bill's dead... and sometimes family deaths affect people oddly.

**Whitewolf-** Thanks!

**Shania-** Yeah, it is kinda a little too late for Harry to be completely human. He just doesn't wanna be completely vampire.

**Siiarrei-** Thanks!


	19. British Wereferret in London

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR

* * *

**_

**Part 19- British Wereferret in London (haha!)**

"It's not use, Hermione, I'm done for," Ron moaned. "The world's all dark. I can't see. The angels call…"

"You're not dying," Charlie informed him, his voice low and humorless. "But your eyes might never be the same again." The youngest Weasley was still on the floor, but now a ferret pillow supported his head and the monstrous ferrets were nowhere to be seen. Harry had wizened up and cast Immobuluson the ferrets, which slowed them down enough for a Finite Incantum. Still, Draco's rabid ferrets had managed to do plenty of damage to Ron; his skin was covered in bites are scratches, which bled profusely, and the vile creatures had almost removed Ron's eyes. Harry had seen the concern written on his friend's features, and he knew they were considering taking Ron to St. Mungo's.

While Hermione and Charlie worked over Ron, Harry sat quietly on the farthest bed, hugging a ferret pillow and absently stroking Hedwig. It had been three hours since Draco attacked Charlie. The current time was 4:21. True, Charlie's joke about Draco's family being a pack of ferrets was undeniably offensive and insulting; but attacking Charlie, hurling Harry across the room, and crushing Hermione's arm was a little more than overreacting. Harry bit down his rage. Surely there had to be a reason for what Draco did… He had been fine with Harry's friends for so long. Perhaps they'd been slowly getting on Draco's nerves more and more, and this was the last straw?

Hedwig nipped Harry's finger sharply. "Ow! What?" Harry demanded, pulling his hand away. Then a faint rapping caught his attention. A shadow was swinging in front of the closed curtains of their room, a shadow that looked like- "Owl post?" Hermione and Charlie looked up form their moaning charge as Harry drew back the curtains. The messenger was a raven, but like no raven he'd ever seen before; it's wings were tipped with gold, it's feet were decorated with ornate jewels. Most mysteriously of all, the bird didn't have a letter, but it was still tapping at the window to enter. Harry opened the window for it.

The raven soared in, did a loop-de-loop with relish, and landed on Harry's shoulder. It's claws dug in a little bit, but that wasn't any worse than Hedwig. "Harry Potter?" The raven croaked. Harry held absolutely still.

"Yes, that's me," Harry said slowly.

"How are you, gentleman?" Harry opened his mouth to answer, but the bird screeched, "All your base are belong to us! All you base are belong to us!"

"What?" Charlie gasped, and Hermione did a perfect imitation of him as she stood. The raven flew off Harry's shoulder, landing on the bedpost. It's red eyes sparkled mirthfully.

"Message from Niles, for Harry Potter… All your base are belong to us!" Harry stared at the bird, his mind whirling with horror. Did Niles already know about Draco? "Message from Niles, to Hermione Granger… what kind of shampoo do you use?"

"Alotta Luster's Silky-Shiny Shimmer formula," Hermione said slowly.

"I must warn her against it, I must warn her against it!" The raven screeched, apparently delighted at the chance to insult Hermione's frizzy brown hair. "Message from Niles, for Charlie Weasley… You said you'd call at seven! I'll never date you again. Never again!"

"Charlie?" Harry gasped, whirling to look at him. _So, that's why he met with her in Diagon Alley!_

"That was Niles?" Charlie mumbled, flabbergasted by all appearances. "She said her name was… Nelly…" Then he bit his lip and turned away from them. "Niles. Nelly. Ugh, how could I have been so stupid? But all I did was buy her some ice-cream and hang out with her. We never did anything remotely like dating. I thought she was okay…"

Charlie probably would have continued, but the pompous bird wasn't finished. "Message from Niles to Ronald Weasley…" Suddenly, it burst into song, it's rough voice drilling into their skulls. "_The moon is full… I start to sweat… Call the doctor… No, call the vet! I need to shave… My knees feel weak… I've turned into a ferret… hear me squeak!_"

"But I don't WANNA be a wereferret!" Ron whimpered, having caught on even faster than Harry.

With that, the bird took off with a flap, heading towards the still open window. "Wait!" Harry gasped. "Niles said… all my base? Including this Inn?" The bird cocked it's head at Harry, nodded, and vanished a whirl of feathers.

Silence reigned for a long minute.

Harry stared down at the little ferrets on the carpet. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a cage swim before his vision. He shook it out of his head, wondering what that was about. His brain wandered to Draco, how trapped he must have felt, even before he was tied to the suitcase.

"That was enlightening," Hermione eventually said, slowly getting back to cleaning Ron's wounds. "All Harry's base are belong to Niles. Charlie met Niles. Niles doesn't like my hair." For a moment, Hermione scowled. "Ron's turning into a wereferret."

"I don't wanna," Ron sobbed. Harry couldn't see his face from across the room; he had intentionally avoided doing so, knowing that Ron's face was a horrifying mess of shredded flesh at the moment.

"Oh, do stop whining, it could be worse…"

As Hermione spoke, Harry's vision whirled. "Wha-" he mumbled, sitting on the bed. The cage was before him again- a wire cage with little water bottle and a dish of what looked like cat food. It was on top of a desk.

A desk that looked suspiciously like…

The image vanished, but Harry was only aware of Hermione asking, "What's wrong?" before another image filled his head. In the bottom on the cage were the words "help me" written in the fluff used to line mouse cages. The vision left him as soon as it came. "Harry!" Hermione cried, but the Boy-Who-Lived was lost, seeing out the window of his old bedroom through the bars of the cage, looking down at the garden of Number 4, Privet Drive._ Niles has Draco in a cage._

"Don't make me Ennervate you!" Charlie said in a slightly high-pitched, terrified voice. He was shaking Harry's shoulder rather roughly. For a moment, Charlie, froze, his eyes locked onto Harry's arm, of all things. Harry slapped his hand away lightly, certain that he looked like he was having Voldemort-related fits.

"Harry, what was it?" Hermione demanded, knocking Charlie aside as she grabbed Harry's shoulders and shook them just as Charlie had. "Did you see Voldemort? What was he-"

"Stop!" Harry bellowed, skittering up the bed and backing away from them. From the way his hands stuck to the pale fabric, he must have been sweating an awful lot. _I'll shower later._ "I didn't see Voldemort. I was just spacing out. Getting here took a lot out of me," he muttered. It wasn't that big of lie, but Hermione could see through it.

"You saw something," Hermione persisted. She sat at the end of the bed, brushing her thick hair out of her face, followed closely by Charlie. "What was it?"

"Hello, I'm bleeding!" Ron whimpered.

"It can wait," Harry said firmly, motioning toward Ron with a bob of the head. He hoped that was true, because he couldn't possibly get to Privet Drive immediately. Still watching him with alarm, Hermione retreated from the bed, straightening out her jeans as she moved back to Ron's side. Charlie's expression was dark and slightly suspicious. "Ron first. I'll tell you after Ron's taken care of."

"There's a cut on your arm. Let me bandage that up for you," Charlie said suddenly, grabbing Harry's arm a little roughly and pulling him off the bed. Harry went along resentfully, knowing perfectly well that his arm was fine and Charlie wanted to talk to him. _Charlie's not Hermione. He won't jump down my throat if I tell him the truth. At least, I don't think he will…_

The red-haired man led him to the bathroom and closed the door gently. Harry found he couldn't stand to look in Charlie's eyes, so he focused instead on the ferrety shower curtain. Perhaps it was just his (perfectly legitimate) fear of Legilimency kicking in, but Harry felt that Charlie's eyes would surely hurt him. "Harry…"

"Yes?"

"Give me your arm." His curiosity sparked, Harry obeyed him. Charlie's rough hands were gentler now, simply holding up Harry's arm. The Gryffindor cautiously peeked up after a few seconds of silence. Charlie was watching Harry's arm as if it might bite him. Harry found he could face the Weasley once more, though he was endlessly confused by this display.

"You said Niles was a Death Eater?" Charlie asked, his voice light and somewhat distracted.

"She had the Dark Mark," Harry said confidently.

"The Dark Mark can't be hidden by any means other than clothes," Charlie pointed out. "Hermione told me long ago that Voldemort wasn't the first to use it. The skull and the snake? It originally symbolized the friendship between the dead and the serpentine- vampires and Parselmouths." Harry wasn't all that surprised by this news. Voldemort wasn't exactly the most original guy ever- he merely took old ideas, perfected them, changed them, and made them terrifying. "The old Masters were the first to use it, marking their kinship with certain wizards and witches with that power."

"And?"

Charlie twisted Harry's arm slightly, tracing his fingers across the pale skin. "Think about the way it feels when Draco bites you." Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Charlie interrupted. "Just do it. Close your eyes and think. Trust me."

"You think I have the Dark Mark hidden under my skin," Harry choked incredulously.

"No," Charlie whispered. "I think it's hidden in your blood." Harry felt himself break out in a sweat, completely unnerved at the fact that Charlie was serious. He couldn't possibly have the Dark Mark!

"Thanks, Charlie!" Harry said loudly, making certain he over-enunciated every syllable. "Boy, if you weren't so good at applying bandages, I'd be a real mess. I'm definitely going to come running in your direction next time I get a flesh wound."

"Harry-" Charlie pleaded, his fingers tightening around the raven-haired boy's arm. For one terrifying second, his eyes seemed to glint red. Harry twisted around and spun the doorknob, pushing the bathroom door open and welcoming himself into the sanity of the inn room. Charlie let go of Harry and drew back as if he'd been slapped.

"What took so long?" Hermione asked, quirking an eyebrow at them.

"Had to clean the cut," Harry cheerfully informed her.

"But how did you get cut in the first place?"

"Must have, err…" Harry looked around quickly. "Scratched myself on the post when I laid down. I'll have to be more careful next time I start having wretched hallucinations, eh?" At her look, Harry hurriedly added, "I _will_ explain later." Hermione's expression didn't change. Desperate to escape all accusing eyes, Harry looked down to Ron's- and found himself staring at congealed blood and goop. Beneath the freckles and splattered gore, Ron was nearly as pale as Draco. Harry grimaced. "We can stop pretending. He needs to go to St. Mungo's, now. Maybe they can do something about this wereferret business."

Hermione finally looked away, nodding in a bitter way. "St. Mungo's?" Ron asked loudly.

"Yes, St. Mungo's hospital," Hermione assured him. Charlie stepped out of the bathroom, giving Harry an accusing look before summoning a stretcher under Ron. "We're really going to take him there like this?"

"Do you plan on Apparating?" Charlie answered. "Harry, we might need your Invisibility Cloak. We'll get weird looks if we're seen carrying him on a stretcher." Harry quickly dug the cloak out of his trunk, as Charlie added, "You'd better take care of that arm while we're gone."

"I'll, err… take good care of it," Harry lied as he passed his cloak over to them. Hermione tucked it over her boyfriend, staring at Harry's face.

"You're not coming with us?"

"I need to think," he told her truthfully. "I'll be fine, don't worry. If Death Eaters find me, I'll slaughter the lot of them and complain to the inn keeper about bad locks."

"HARRY!"

"Err, I meant to say that I'll leave a note and Apparate the hell out of here."

"Good." Harry couldn't help it but chuckle. Merlin knows where that sudden sadistic streak came from, but he found it amusing. Harry made a beeline for the bed as his three companions left the room, and heard the click as the door locked behind them. Harry couldn't stop smiling, realizing that, for the first time in a few weeks, he was completely alone. Well, not completely- Hedwig and Pigwidgeon were still there. But there were no other people. _Glory!_

But what to do with his spare time? Harry closed his eyes, thinking… _What can I do…?_

Written in the bottom of Draco's cage were the words, "You could HELP ME."

Harry sat bolt upright. _How did he know what I was thinking?_

"Our bond is stronger than you think," Draco's written answer came. The letters became jumbled for a moment, twisting and forming new words. "Hurry. Niles wants me to kill the Dursleys."

Harry leapt off the bed and ran out the door, but Charlie and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. _Great. As usual, I have to do everything alone. _Harry scrambled back into the room, grabbing a quill and a bit of parchment from his trunk. He couldn't just run off without leaving a message for Hermione and Charlie…

_Charlie, Hermione, Ron…_

_Sorry I had to run off and vanish like this. My bond with Draco runs deeper than Voldemort's. He's been sending me visions and snippets of information for a little while, and I've gathered that Niles has him in a cage at Privet Drive, and she intends to make him kill the Dursleys. I don't think this can wait until Ron is fixed up. If I'm not back when you are, you'll know where to start looking for me._

Harry lifted his quill from the paper, reading it over. It was probably the most poorly written letter he'd ever made.

_P.S- I know that sounds incredibly stupid, and I skimmed over a lot of the details, but that's how it is._

Harry lifted his quill once more, thinking of the troubles that lay ahead of him.

_P.P.S- If I die, you can have my stuff._

With that, Harry taped the note onto the table, made sure his wand was securely in his pocket, and left. The Dark Mark decorating his forearm vanished as he walked out the door.

* * *

GASP! Harry's such a fool. if you don't review, Harry won't get to cuddle Draco while he's a ferret! Lame threat, but yeah...

ANYWAY, REVIEWS!

**IamSam**- D'oh, I forgot about bloody sweat. Oh well. I know it was a bit overdone.

**Shania Maxwell**- Okay, the ferrets were a bit strange. It won't be such a big deal soon.

**Sensei**- Draco's a ferret Animagus for a reason... sigh...

**Cheeky devil**- I'm female... o.o

**Chocola**- It'll all be explained.

**Morena Evensong**- from what I've seen, they do have clothes on when they turn back into humans, but when they change into animals their clothes fall off. It didn't make much senseto me, but it happened in PoA- Pettigrew turned ratty, dropped all his clothes, and ran like the blazes.

**Krippity**- You have a blood fetish.


	20. An Unfortunate Plot Twist

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

Once again, reviews are at the BOTTOM. I apologise for the late update. College... writer's block... lack of time to write when I felt like it, no ideas when I had time to write... The list of excuses goes on, BUT, I DID MAKE YOU GUYS A NEW CHAPTER!

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 20- An Unfortunate Plot Twist**

Noticing that it was nightfall, Harry decided to take the Knight Bus to reach Privet Drive. The new bus staff had made the ride somewhat interesting. Old Ernie had passed away, and been replaced by an even wilder driver- some American witch called "Kitty" who screamed and roared with delight at the very idea of speed, who tried in vain to spread this glee with the terrified passengers as she nearly wrecked every three seconds. Harry particularly disliked the ride, since the hot cocoa he had bought for the ride had almost instantly been splashed onto his crotch, and he spent much of the ride testing out various ways to cool his roasted weenie.

Stan Shunpike, on charges of being a Death Eater, was currently in Azkaban. Harry tried to keep his rage down as he watched the new conductor. This guy, though maintaining a professional air, gave off a more "dotty" vibe than Luna Lovegood. He had greeted Harry by saying, "Welcome for our Knight Bus. As your conductor, I shall be of the name Red Herrington. What with you being Harry Potter, we will build you a great discount on our Knight machine. Enter aboard."

By the time Harry stumbled off the bus, he was dizzy and his stomach wanted to churn up what little cocoa he hadn't spilled on his lap. He sat on the sidewalk and watched in awe as Kitty sent the bus sailing away, bellowing, "You hear that engine? That's the sound of power!" When it finally vanished, from sight, he heard the telltale crunching noise of a purple double-decker bus becoming intimately acquainted with a telephone pole.

Casting one more _Aguamenti_ and a final cleaning spell on his burnt crotch, Harry turned to face the home of the Dursleys. All the lights were off this time. _That's odd. They don't normally go to bed this early._ Still undaunted, Harry moved forwards. He remember the way Draco's hearing had betrayed Hermione's presence, and he knew that sneaking in would do him no good. He'd be best off just walking right up to the door, knocking, and demanding to see "Nilly's" pet ferret.

Harry walked up those familiar steps once more, and lifted his hand to knock at the door before realizing it was open. _Why would the Dursleys leave the door open?_ Harry wondered, bewildered. He tightened his fingers around his wand as he crossed the threshold.

He was greeted by a darkened hallway. The curtains had been drawn, so the light from the streetlights couldn't pierce it's way in. Appreciating the fact that he was finally of age, Harry quietly cast a _Lumos_ instead of turning on the hall light. Everything was exactly as he had left it; all prim and proper and clean. "Hello?" Harry whispered as he closed the door behind him. "Anybody here? Petunia? Dudley? Nilly?"

He received no answer.

Heaving a sigh, Harry carefully went upstairs, avoiding the squeaky step, listening for any sign of noise. He still heard nothing and saw nothing peculiar. This rather unnerved him; he, who had gone through many battles in many unnatural and terrifying places. He reached the door to his old room, and upon finding the door slightly ajar, let himself in.

Niles was nowhere to be seen, but the cage he had seen in his visions was before him. It was on his old desk, right beside the window. It had the appearance of a perfectly ordinary cage, but Harry had a feeling there was more to it. Curled up in the far corner, asleep inside an empty food dish, was a sleek white ferret. Taking one more furtive glance around him, Harry quietly closed the door.

"Draco!" Harry whispered loudly, moving towards the cage with his wand brandished. The ferret opened one bleary red eye, yawned, and perked it's head up. Though it's fangs were rather long, Harry felt a strong desire to pick up the little thing and cuddle it. Harry shook those thoughts out of his head. "You _are_ Draco, right?" The little weasel stretched and nodded. "Can you get out?" With that, the ferret shook it's head. "And you can't change back into a human, can you?" Draco shook his head again, as he slinked out of his cozy little bowl and pressed his face to the metal bars.

Harry found himself reaching out his hand to stroke the fur on Draco's cheek. "I'll get you out, but you definitely owe me an explanation, and you owe the Weasleys an apology." Draco nodded again. Harry pulled his hand away, and turned to the cage door. It had a lock on it of a kind Harry had never seen before; it looked more like a puzzle. It was shaped like a pyramid with a keyhole in every side, fused directly onto the latch.

"Maybe… _Alohamora_!" Harry tried this spell three times, to no effect. Trying out a weak Searing Charm got him nowhere. Draco moved himself to the back of the cage. "Think you'd be alright if I ripped the cage in half?" Harry asked him slowly. The white ferret promptly turned his food bowl over and hid underneath it for protection. Harry couldn't help it but grin. Draco certainly made a cute ferret, even though his intelligence clearly labeled him as human. _Vampire_, Harry corrected himself mentally. _There really isn't much difference there._ Harry pointed his wand at the lock…

"Diffindo," Harry said clearly. The lock, the cage, and the desk underneath all split in half with a loud clang. Draco's half began to tilt as it fell over; Harry barely managed to plunge his arm into the falling cage and catch the ferret before his bowl got crushed under the falling desk. Harry was certain he wouldn't have been able to catch Draco if he hadn't been half-vampire. The desk still managed to squish Harry's big toe, but it was a small price to pay. He just hoped that the noise hadn't alerted anyone to his presence.

The bowl Draco had been hiding under had snapped in half under the weight of the desk.

Lifting his hand, he saw that Draco was clutching Harry's fingers with his little claws- and shaking like a leaf. "Are you okay?" Harry asked urgently, lifting Draco up to his face. The little ferret's eyes closed for a moment… then he nodded. Harry gave him a relieved smile and gave him a light hug. Draco was somewhat cool to the touch, and Harry found himself wondering if Draco was just as much a vampire in ferret form as he was in human form. Draco relaxed his head against Harry's chest for one brief moment. Then he began to squirm.

Harry dropped the ferret as he began to transform. It started with the tip of his pink nose; it quickly melted to form the slightly pointy nose that had wrinkled at Hermione so many times over the years. The tail quickly slipped away into nothing. Circular red eyes became gray and slightly more almond-shaped. Tiny, clawed hands swelled in size. Harry had only to blink and Draco was done transforming back into his natural shape. The Slytherin had the most unusual expression on his face. His gray eyes were wide and watery, a grin tugged at the corners of his lips, and despite his new black eye, Draco looked ready to cry from happiness.

"Thank you," Draco whispered, before pouncing at Harry and knocking him to the floor in a crushing embrace. Harry squawked in protest, and pried the blond off.

"You have to be quiet!" Harry hissed, holding Draco back at the shoulders. "What if somebody hears you? Somebody like Niles or Vernon?" Draco's sparkly eyes sudden became very lifeless above Harry. The vampire slowly lifted himself off of the Gryffindor, letting his fancy black cloak fall slightly off his shoulder and expose the black muscle shirt underneath. The white snake on his shirt seemed to curl up in a ball, almost as if trying to hide. "Why do you look like Voldemort is standing behind me?" Harry asked slowly, praying that wasn't the cause of Draco's mood change.

"Vernon," Draco said slowly, "is no longer here." There was something hollow in his tone, and Harry assumed there was more to it. He found the hair on the back of his neck prickling.

"Where did he go?"

"The same place I went," Draco muttered. In one fluid motion that no human could have accomplished, he twisted up from a sitting potion and fell gracefully onto the bed. "The same place I am now, actually. I suppose you could call it limbo. Perhaps it would be better if you called it, 'the place where the souls of the undead reside'."

"What's that mean?" Harry asked sharply, sitting up and grabbing Draco's knee. Vernon, undead? "Niles didn't…" Vernon. Undead. "No."

"And your aunt, and your cousin," Draco continued, in the same empty voice. He seemed determined not to meet eyes with Harry.

"No," Harry said firmly. "She wouldn't turn them, she just wouldn't. They would kill themselves, unless they blamed me…"

"It's 8:30," Draco observed. "Barely past sunset." Confused, Harry looked at the clock. Draco was right. _What's that got to do with…?_ "My darling mistress will have taken the Dursleys to the White Ferret by now." Harry said nothing. His mind was whirling with too many confused thoughts. "Don't get it yet? No, I don't suppose you do. You're an idiot like that…" The blond sat up and fixed his dark eyes on Harry's blazing green ones. The hollowness Harry had seen before wasn't just a figment of his imagination; Draco's eyes were black, completely black and they looked even more inhuman than when his irises glowed red. Harry realized as he stared that Draco actually had two black eyes. He must have been hit repeatedly in the face.

"I don't understand," Harry whispered. His grip on Draco's knee loosened.

"Niles," the vampire began, "is a horrible, terrifying monster. Did you know she had a daughter?"

"No?"

"Well, now you know. I can here after attacking Charlie out of pure guilt. I figured that there was only one way to solve my problems- I had to kill Niles to become human again. But when I got here, I received a nasty shock. Your Muggle family was splattered all over the living room walls. My whore of a mistress was sharing your cousin with her daughter when I came in."

Harry found his breath hitched. "Where are they now?"

"They're not here, you don't have to worry… But let me continue," Draco ploughed on. He gently grasped Harry's trembling hand with his own pale one, his silver snake bracelets giving Harry's finger reassuring nuzzles. "You can well guess that Niles didn't like having her dinner interrupted. She beat me up. I tried to escape by turning into a ferret, but that was a bad move… they caught me and stuffed me in that cage. The fucking thing had a charm on it so I couldn't change back."

"Why did they do that?" Harry demanded. "Just because you interrupted them?"

"No, idiot!" Draco spat, before returning to his dark and vacant state. "Because they didn't want me to go and warn you. I heard her talking through the floor. She's got the Dursleys fully convinced that you're the reason they're vampires. That's what the bitch had planned for the evening… she wanted them to kill you. She knows perfectly well that you couldn't fight your family."

Harry found himself shrinking inside his skin.

That evil bitch.

That evil, conniving, treacherous bitch.

"And just to help out with her dirty scheme, she made sure you weren't at the Leaky Cauldron. She wanted you to be as far from the help of other wizards as possible. That's why we ended up in a Muggle hotel, a place where you'd be more vulnerable. I bet they're still there, wreaking havoc, maybe even killing Muggles. Niles won't be happy when she finds out you're here and I'm free."

Harry's hands shook. "She murdered my family and tricked all of us, just to get to me?"

"Yeah… that evil, conniving, treacherous bitch." Harry didn't want to imagine what the Dursleys must be feeling then. Three people that hated magic so much, suddenly turned into magical creatures? Yes, they would blame Harry even if Niles hadn't tried to convince them. "I don't know what to do…"

"What do you mean, _you don't know what to do!_" Harry demanded, standing up sharply. "Niles needs to be killed!"

"Keep it down!" Draco hissed, clamping a hand down on Harry's mouth. "I said the Dursleys aren't here, but somebody else is!" He smoothly moved off the bed, still holding Harry's mouth shut as he guided him from the room. Confused and numb, Harry let himself be led. Once out the door, Harry was herded into the doorway of Dudley's room. "Look," Draco whispered.

Draco slowly pushed the door open, revealing a very strange sight indeed. Curled up on top of Dudley's wrinkled sheets was a little girl, around the age of nine. Her skin was just as black as Niles', she had the same facial features. Her hair was a golden orange-blond. Though she was dressed in one of Dudley's ugly red shirts, which was easily large enough to go past her knees, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes were closed in sleep, a small smile played on her lips.

Draco let go of Harry's mouth. "Who is she?" Harry whispered immediately.

"Niles' daughter," the vampire replied. "She's called Adyn… I think it might be a nickname for Adonis. After all, Niles is a male name too." Draco closed the door. His features were weary. "This is why I can't kill Niles."

"That makes no sense. How does this girl change anything? What's wrong with killing Niles?" Harry asked, honestly confused. Draco's black eyes lightened slightly, flecks of gray appearing in their depths. It took Harry a moment to realize Draco's eyes were watering.

"You have to ask? I know why I have to kill Niles, but I'm just not a murderer!" Harry bit his lips, realizing what he had said. _Nothing wrong with killing…_ Draco grasped Harry's shoulders and pulled himself in for a hug. The Gryffindor found himself wrapping his arms around the blond. "Harry? I'm not the cold bad-ass I've always pretended to be… I'm not my father… How can I kill a monster that sings her child to sleep?"

Draco shuddered for a moment, and the next thing Harry knew, the Slytherin had dragged them both to the floor. Crimson tears stained Harry's clean black shirt. Deciding not to remind Draco of his debt to the Weasleys, Harry held tightly to Draco, letting him cry his still heart out.

He still didn't notice the Dark Mark that blazed under his skin.

* * *

Cookies to everyone who foresaw Niles being evil! If you don't review, the Weasels will slaughter our adorable ferret boy!

**TO ALL WHO ARE CONFUSED: **_Sorry. Draco sent Harry visions to inform him that our poor Draco had been captured by his mistress. Harry went to go save him. AND... Harry has the Dark Mark because he's a Parselmouth bound to a vampire. I'll clarify soon._

_**Anyway... REVIEWS.**_

**Kakisensei-** You really want Niles to suffer, ne?

**Shadow DarknessDragon-** How do you plan on using that letter?

**"Aether" person...** You WANTED this and I hadn't even noticed your review until now. Silly me. Have you spoken to Trelawny lately? Your Inner Eye seems to see 20/20.

**Mistress of the Light-** Ron will make a very adorable wereferret. I can imagine him getting in fights with Draco about who's cutest.

**Krippity-** Shhh! It was Charlie who's eyes glowed red. We've all figured out that Niles is a dirty, evilwhore. Happy?

**Von-** Don't worry, I don't believe in male pregnancy. I don't really find anything romantic about a bloody fetus shooting out of a guy's arse. I only included that because hermione likes to fill people's minds with useless, disgusting information.

**Ivy Snowe-** You should, like, make a toy design like that. I WOULD BUY CUDDLING DRACO AND HARRY ACTION FIGURES!


	21. Make Her Twist and Scream

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR. Reviews are at the bottom of the page.**_

**Part 21- Make her Twist and Scream**

It had been nearly ten minutes before Draco's fit of angst passed. It had ended so abruptly that Harry almost missed it; one minute, the vampire was sobbing in Harry's arms, and the next, he fled to wash his bloodstained face in the bathroom. Harry was left in the hallway, staring at the bloody tears that had saturated his cloak, wondering how best to explain them to the Weasleys and Hermione. They would probably think he'd been stabbed.

Aside from the sound of water rushing into a basin, interrupted only by Draco's hands scooping it up and splashing it at his face, Harry could hear nothing. He had been concerned for a while that Draco's sobs would awake the blond child sleeping in the next room. "Of course they didn't," Draco whispered in Harry's ear. The Gryffindor muffled his shriek in shock. He hadn't noticed the blond leaving the washroom, or reading his mind lately.

"Damn it! Don't _do_ that!" Harry gasped, annoyed by his hammering heartbeat, annoyed by Draco's smirk, annoyed by the crusty feeling of his bloody shirt. The offending blond only laughed, offering Harry a hand up. As Harry took it, he hissed "bloody sadist" under his breath.

"What will your friends think?" Draco asked, smirk still firmly set on his face. "Harry Potter vanishes without any forewarning, leaving a note finished by a miniature will, then returns covered in blood! Are you the newest Dark Lord? Are you Vorgulmortis, the king of nightmares? Or did you decide to become a vampire, just to please your incredibly gorgeous boyfriend?" He seemed to be delighted at the very thought of this.

"Ha, ha, ha… You arrogant git." Harry couldn't help it but smirk back the his incredibly conceited boyfriend. Chuckling, Draco draped his cloaked arms around Harry and leaned in to casually sniff the bespectacled boy's chest. Blushing, Harry shoved him away. "Do you have multiple personalities?" the Gryffindor demand. Draco only rolled his eyes, so Harry pushed his lens-less glasses higher on his face and continued. "You still have to explain yourself! And, you owe the Weasleys your apologies- and you'd sure as hell better pay Ron's medical bill!" Draco's smirk vanished.

"You really ought to change out of that shirt," he said slowly, cocking his head to the side has he inspected Harry's bloody black top.

"Don't change the subject!"

"You smell like a road-kill squirrel."

"You- what? Really?"

"Yes, it's quite disgusting. Remind me to never cry again." Draco took a step toward Harry, a very odd glint in his wicked gray eyes, which were fixated on Harry's poor shirt. "If you won't get rid of it yourself, I suppose I'll just have to take this matter into my own hands…"

_Uh oh._

Harry turned to run, but it was useless: Draco was faster, Draco had a head start, Draco really wanted that short gone. With that unnatural speed, the chase didn't last a second. There was a moment where the cloth of his shirt tugged painfully at Harry's side and armpit, before it was ripped cleanly off his body. Draco laughed triumphantly as Harry stumbled away, his cheeks burning furiously. "I liked that shirt," he told Draco accusingly, when his balance was regained.

"Like all of your garments, it looks better ripped to pieces on the floor," Draco informed him, dropping the tattered remains of Harry's shirt and licking his lips.

Harry was as still as a disenchanted statue, jaw dropped, completely aghast. "How can you be perverted now!" he demanded, plucking up his wits as well as the bits of cotton from the carpet. "You're crying one second, and hitting on me the next! You've been getting weirder and weirder since I found you! Seriously, how many personalities do you have?"

As if in answer, Draco's eyes bulged.

"Forty three," said a sweet voice from behind Harry's back. This time, Harry did shriek as he fell to the floor and brandished his phoenix-core wand at the newcomer. Adyn stood there with an innocent smile on her black face, hands clasped in front of her, looking bright and perky despite her tangled blond hair and ruffled oversized shirt that stank of Dudley. "Adyn has named them all. Mr. Potter is addressing one named Binky now."

"Adyn," Draco whispered, grabbed Harry's shoulder and pulling the wizard closer to him as he stepped away from the child vampire. There was a very fake smile on thin boy's pale lips, obviously there as an illusion of calm. "How long have you been awake?"

"Adyn never fell asleep, ferret-boy," the blond giggled. "Adyn's mom-goose told her to guard Draco, did she not?" Harry and Draco couldn't answer. Adyn's orange eyes flashed to Harry's arm for a split second. Eyebrows furrowing, the tousled blond asked, "Why didn't Draco tell Adyn's mom-goose that you spoke to snakes?"

Harry wanted to ask who Adyn's mom-goose was, and why she spoke in third person, but instead he asked, "How did you know I could talk to snakes?"

"Silly mongoose!" Adyn laughed, skipping a couple steps toward Harry. Her orange eyes blinked up at him, as innocent as pie. "Snake-boy has the Dark Mark! Look, it's pretty!"

Niles' spawn leapt forward, catching Harry's arm and twisting it up in his face. There, etched quite plainly in the pale skin of his forearm, was the same mark that had sent feelings of icy terror through him on so many occasions. The Quidditch World Cup flashed before Harry's eyes. Snape showed his Dark Mark to a nonbeliever. Last he had seen the Mark, it was hovering over Hogwarts. Now, is if saying that Voldemort had killed something within Harry's own body, the Dark Mark burned mockingly at him. Black lines formed a skull and a snake curling it's way out of the mouth.

_"Why do I have the Dark Mark!" _Harry screamed.

"Why _do_ you have the Dark Mark?" Draco echoed, fixing the black mark on Harry's arm with an truly Basilisk-like glare. Adyn laughed as she traced the contours of the skull with her soft black fingers, as if trying to memorize how to draw it. Disgusted and alarmed, Harry ripped his arm away from her, as if her touch burned.

"Silly mongoose," Adonis cackled. "Harry speaks Parseltongue. Draco is a vampire." Taking Harry's hand, she guided the confused and terrified wizard to Draco and forced their hands to clasp. Only when Harry's skin touched Draco's calm palms did he realize how very sweaty his hands were. Smiling at them, the child pulled back Draco's left sleeve, displaying a second Dark Mark in marble skin. Harry felt as if he'd been hurled naked into the Hogwarts lake, mid-winter. Draco felt the same alarm. His fingers tightened around Harry's slightly. "Harry is dating Draco. When a Parselmouth is bonded with a vampire, both of them have the Dark Mark in their blood!"

"… What?" Harry and Draco both asked in unison. The young vampire rolled her orange eyes and poked Harry's chest.

"Does Harry speak Parseltongue?" Harry nodded. Adyn poked Draco's chest.

"Is Draco a vampire?"

"Yes," Draco answered slowly. The child took a large step away from them, her oversize T-shirt wrinkling at her knees.

"Are Harry and Draco bonded in any way?" That wasn't a hard one to answer. They both nodded. "That is why you both have the Dark Mark!"

"I still don't see why-" Harry cut in, but Niles' spawn interrupted.

"Silly, silly mongoose. Parselmouths are evil wizards that speak to snakes." Harry felt an itch to prove Adyn wrong on the evil part. The black vampire gently took Harry's arm into her hands, breaking his connection with Draco. Their Dark Marks faded slightly, becoming more brown than black. "That is why a snake comes out from the skull's mouth- the skull speaks to snakes." She pointed at the snake on Harry's Dark Mark, as if she were a teacher pointing at notes on a board during a lecture. Her gaze turned to Draco. "Vampires are undead mongooses, right?"

"I am _not_ a mongoose!" Draco snarled, taking one menacing step toward Niles' daughter.

"Sorry… Adyn meant to say ferrets." Harry hugged Draco, partially to calm him, partially in case he needed to hold the Slytherin back. Unperturbed, the little vampire went on in her melodic, squeaky voice. "The skull symbolizes undead like the vampire mongeeses. It's really that simple. All Parselmouths bonded to undead have the Dark Mark. That is all! Harry was not marked in his sleep, or any crazy stuff like that!"

Adyn ended her lesson with a dramatic poke to Harry's nose.

Harry found himself laughing.

"That's twisted," Draco muttered, eyes fixed on Harry's forearm. Harry choked, his laugh dying on Parselmouth-speaking lips. "That's just wrong. Harry Potter has the Dark Mark. It's just… no. It's not right."

"I know what you mean," Harry muttered, looking at it again. Now that he knew it had nothing to do with Voldemort, the crisp black lines actually looked rather impressive, almost beautiful. "But I suppose it's permanent. People might react badly if they see it, especially on me… I guess I'm going to have to wear long sleeves from now on?"

"Long sleeves!" Adyn suddenly yelled. The noise made both Draco and Harry flinch and draw back. "Long sleeves! You have no sleeves at all! Why, your chest is _naked_!" Adyn seemed perfectly scandalized. "Put on a shirt, you evil mongoose! There are children present! _Children_, villain, _children! SHIRT! NOW! VILLAIN! **MONGOOSE!"**_

**One long-sleeved Dudley shirt later…**

"You look like an elephant!" Adyn shrieked with laughter.

"Shut up," Harry growled at her. He knew she was telling the truth; the massive shirt hung far past his knees, sleeves reaching almost as far. Though cut like a sweater and an annoying creamy gray, this garment was nearly large enough to be one of Harry's school robes. Draco too was snorting into his hand, eyes tearing up with barely contained wicked mirth. "Both of you!" They obviously couldn't do it.

Furious at this indignity, Harry whirled around and began to descend the stairs. "No! Please wait! You must help Adonis!"

Harry paused. Draco wasn't chortling anymore. "Help you?" Harry asked quietly, not turning to look at her. He knew his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Something isn't right with my mom-goose," Adyn said quickly. Nearly tripping on Dudley's oversize shirt, the child scampered around Harry and met his gaze. "Something very muchly wrong. Adyn… Adyn thinks the Niles you know is an imposter!"

Draco jolted off of the wall, gray eyes swelling. "What?" he demanded, in unison with Harry. The small blond fidgeted slightly.

"She's been acting strangely since she moved to this house," the black vampire burst out. She spoke very quickly, as if she'd kept this information bottled up far too long. "She forgets the nicknames of her friends. She even called Adyn 'Annie' last night. Before she came here, mom-goose told Adyn that she respects Draco and Harry like sons, and she wanted to trick you into getting married. She'd never told me anything about having evil plans for you-"

"So she changed her mind about us and she's been busy," Draco interrupted. He had leaned back against the wall, smirking at Adyn as if she were being stupid on purpose. "I don't think that's any reason to be worried." Adyn's face contorted with anger for a moment, orange eyes flaring red. Her back became rather rigid. Her fists clenched. Her teeth mutated into snake-like fangs. Harry found himself shrinking away.

"Adyn has other reasons to be suspicious," the youth bit out between her long teeth. "She doesn't have to tell them to you."

"Oh, but she does," Draco chuckled, not scared a bit. He swayed his body slightly, bobbing away from the wall and leaning into Adyn's face, meeting her vicious glower. "If Adonis wants our help, Adonis has to tell us what's wrong. And if Adonis doesn't tell us, Adonis is just going to have to go back to bed and pretend she didn't hear us escaping. Got that?"

Harry felt a dismal sinking feeling in his gut as he tightened his grip on his wand. _This might not be pretty…_

"Adyn doesn't want to tell you… ferret boy."

Pale fingers grasped Adyn by the throat. She had hardly time to scream before Draco slammed her into the wall. The impact made a loud crunch; the sheetrock had broken. A few feet away, a clock fell off the wall. Harry didn't know whether or not to pry Draco off of her. Loyalty and nobility clashed as a strangled gasp issued from the pinned child that insulted Harry's boyfriend. Luckily for Harry, that internal struggle hardly lasted ten seconds. "Adyn will tell!" Niles' daughter choked, a bloody tear falling from her eye. Draco dropped her. Adyn fell to the floor. Harry sighed with relief. _What is his problem with ferrets?_

"Why should we listen to you at all?" Draco hissed, looking very intimidating indeed as he towered over the fallen Adyn. "You who's mother killed me, you who helped kill Harry's family?" Harry, who had almost managed to forget this unfortunate turn of events, suddenly found himself wishing Draco had killed her.

"Ah… ah… I… Adyn," the little vampire choked. "Adyn didn't want to do that. The fake mom-goose made her." Her hand groped at the wall for a moment before finding a nice pivot with which she could prop herself up. Harry was disgusted at the way she pretended to be weak. His hand was itching to raise the wand, his tongue pleading to say _Crucio_… "Adyn didn't want to say it, but Adyn's mom-goose is a… a _whore!"_

That shocked Harry out of his violent thought process.

Absolute silence met this statement. Adyn took this as an invitation to continue. "She normally smells like fancy soaps and perfumes, because she doesn't like the smell off all the man-gooses she seduces. Ever since Adyn's mom-goose came to the Dursleys, she smells like cheap soap… and Polyjuice Potion."

That took a good ten seconds for Harry and Draco to digest. Draco was the first to come out of his shock. "But… Niles… If the one that killed the Dursleys is an imposter, where's your mother?"

"Adyn has no idea," the little vampire sighed. She finally pushed herself onto her sock-less feet, and turned towards Harry. "You're a hero, aren't you? I know you don't trust me, but my mom-goose might be in trouble and she's not the one that ruined your life. You have to help me." Her words fell on deaf ears.

Harry stalked forward, pointing his wand at the skin of Niles' child's throat. She tensed, orange eyes growing large as she locked herself in place. Draco didn't move to stop Harry; rather, he leaned against the wall and watched with more interest than he'd ever shown in any Hogwarts class.

"The nerve," Harry whispered. "You kill my family, then ask me to help you? How dare you… How _dare_ you." Adyn's eyes narrowed.

"You wanted to find her anyway," Adyn muttered. "Is there anything wrong with killing two birds with one stone?"

"Aside from the killing part?" Draco demanded slyly.

"They had it coming!" Adonis snapped. Her voice was no longer sugary and sweet: it was a growl, it was an insult, it was a threat. "Filthy, pompous Muggles-"

That did it. Harry tightened his grip on his wand…

_"Crucio." _

_

* * *

_AAUGH! No, Harry, no! Don't use and Unforgivable! NOOO, HARRY'S GONNA GO TO AZKABAN! ... Unless you review. HA! 

**_REVIEWS:_**

**Mithril Maiden-** No thank you, Adyn would kill both of them in their sleep.

**TheDevilsSeductress**- Thanks, but no, I will not marry you. Back where I come from, "dirty little whore" is a marriage proposal.

**Magnificent the Destroyer Lord-** Silly creature! There are werecreatures of all sorts. Wolves, ferrets, cats... why, I once met a wereturtle, poor thing. Harry merely has heightened senses and his thoughts are a wee bit more violent... so far. Yes, the Dursleys are vampires, but "Nilly" convinced them that Harry was to blame.

**Krippity-** I hope you're happy, you're half my inspiration for Niles being a whore.

**Donna-** I liked it better before chapter 18 myself... But I would have been a fool to leave off with everybody living at the Leaky Cauldron.

**HPcoldfire-** Draco would slaughter anybody that called him "Drakiekins".

**firefly820-** We're getting there! Finally, somebody actually wonders WHY "Niles" wants to kill Harry!

**Allaye, Daughter of the Snake-** Consider yourself MENTIONED. Well? Hold up your end of the bargain! Review!


	22. Twisted Truths

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_**Reviews on the bottom. Fruit on the top.

* * *

- - - - - - Because some people are confused, here's a list of WHO HAS BEEN KILLED. - - - - - - **_

All Weasleys except Charlie and Ron (Percy too... Because I hate him.)

Everyone else that was in the Order (including, but not limited to: Remus, Tonks, Mundungus, Dumbledore --cough--, Snape, and so on.)

Fleur and Gabrielle

Hermione's parents

The Longbottoms, Dean, Seamus, almost all them Gryff guys in Harry's year

All of Draco's school buddies

The Dursleys (but they're undead)

Draco (also undead)

Harry (debatable)

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 22- Twisted Truths**

"Idiot!" Draco yelled and dragged Harry down the staircase by the sleeve of Dudley's ridiculously large sweater.

"Slow down!" Harry pleaded, bouncing off the grandfather clock as he tried to balance.

"Idiot!" Draco screamed, knocking the front door off it's hinges with a light shove and pulling the bespectacled wizard out of the house.

"Draco, wait!" Harry gasped, trying to wriggle out of the vampire's grasp.

"IDIOT!" Draco bellowed, tightening his grip and hurtling down the road with Harry in tow.

"What's your problem!" Harry cried out, finally breaking away from his blond boyfriend.

_"IDIOT!_ What's _YOUR_ problem!" Though the vampire had no need whatsoever to breath, his chest was heaving out of habit. His thin blond hair fell in his face, half covering his massive red eyes. "Excellent work, Harry- you've planned this out so well!"

"Planned what?" Harry whispered, perplexed. His small fingers worked at massaging his wrists, which had gotten a small bit of rug burn from his sleeves whipping about him. "If you mean what I did to Adyn, I hadn't planned on-"

"That much is obvious, _Potter!"_ Draco snapped. "You had no plan! Did you think at all? What was your thought process? Were you thinking, 'Oh, I can get away with using the Unforgivable Curses because I'm Harry Potter and the Ministry loves me?'" In his excitement, Draco stumbled onto the road. He was lucky to have heightened senses; he barely managed to leap out of a passing car's path. He landed, gracefully and dramatically, in a large puddle with an oil slick. "Watch it, bastard!" the soaked Slytherin called after the Muggle driver.

"Calm down, Drake," Harry implored, feeling a bit of a chill cascade down his back as he finally began to think about his actions. _Perhaps casting the Cruciatus on Adyn wasn't such a good idea…_ Shaking his head, Harry strode forward and offered Draco a hand up. Dudley's long gray sleeve slid forward and masked his hand; Harry had to pull it back before Taking Draco's clammy fingers and pulling the enraged creature to it's feet.

Draco sniffed, pushing his wet and greasy hair out of his face, looking perfectly miserable. "You're so smart, Harry," Draco snarled. He smoothed his cloak slightly and began to walk. For lack of anything else to do, Harry followed. "You had to wait until you had the Dark Mark to cast the Cruciatus, didn't you?" Harry stopped walking, suddenly realizing that having the Dark Mark while casting the Cruciatus wasn't good at all.

"I… didn't think…"

"I know you didn't! Casting the Cruciatus on a child, in the company of a vampire-- a Death Eater's son, who ALSO has the Dark Mark-- do you have any idea how suspicious that is? What's the Ministry going to think? I'll tell you what they'll think! They'll think I handed you over to the Dark Lord and he welcomed both of us with open arms! They'll think their precious hero, their beloved Chosen One, has turned against them! They're going to kill both of us! _YOU IDIOT!"_

The last Malfoy whirled on the spot, ripped off his shirt and cloak, grabbed Harry roughly around the waist, unfurled his wings, took off into the night. Icy night air hit Harry's face. The last of the Potters twisted slightly, curled his arms around Draco's neck for support, felt the wind stinging through Dudley's sweater. "I know it was stupid," Harry called over the wind, "but she deserved it! You heard what she said!"

"I know she deserved it!" Draco snarled, tossing his head slightly to keep the wind from whipping his drenched hair in his face. "That only makes the whole situation even more infuriating! Oh, just you wait, you'll have a ten thousand galleon price on your head for this… I bet I'll be back on the Wanted list…"

Harry couldn't help it but feel a sense of impending doom; a growing sense of dread, as his mind unraveled the severity of his actions. This ageless alabaster creature that carried him was more afraid than he. His mind whirled to secret scenes he should never have seen; persecution of Dark Wizards in the days of Crouch Senior, the madness that befalls those poor criminals who waste away in Azkaban, the rituals and forbidden magic used by Voldemort to create monsters from within the human body…

_Why am I thinking about this? _Harry shook his head and called over the wind, "Where are we going?"

"St. Mungo's," Draco replied, lurching to the side to make way for a passing bird. Harry felt sick. St. Mungo's? _But I broke the law, and there won't be a soul in the hospital who can't recognize me!_ "Listen! Don't freak out! You have your Invisibility Cloak, and even if they did catch you there, they won't take you by force surrounded by injured wizards. We have to collect your sad little friends before they go back to the Inn and get themselves slaughtered."

With that grim thought in his head, Harry fell silent. Draco flew faster than before; Harry took it as a sign that the vampire was more concerned about the Weasleys and Hermione than he'd ever let off. Harry closed his green eyes and clung tightly to Draco's bare chest. Little red beads of bloody sweat mixed with the clean droplets formed by the clouds they flew in. Maybe it was best to drift into oblivion, forget all the bad things in the world… Maybe Harry could go into hiding with Draco after his friends were safe… Maybe they could defy the Ministry that had done them so much harm, become Vorgulmortis and the Dragon, rule the night as all rebellious lovers wish they could.

"Nice fantasy," Draco laughed, tearing Harry away from his thoughts. "We may just have to do that. Still, we should at least try to set things right and live right- er, _reasonably_ righteous lives." Harry chuckled, knowing precisely which part of their lives would be most sinful.

The lights of Surrey were gone from beneath their feet. Harry thought of darkness… and the things Draco's mistress could do in it. "Do you think Adyn was telling the truth?" Harry eventually called. "That, perhaps, the bitch who killed my family isn't the one that turned you?"

"It doesn't matter in the end. I have to go back to being human, and so do the Dursleys. The only difference is killing two murderers instead of one."

"What if there's more to it?" Harry demanded to know, pressing his cheek to the alabaster chest of his boyfriend. Muscles rippled under Harry's soft skin as leathery black wings sliced through the air, like fins cutting through water. "Whoever we're dealing with wants to kill me, and they're clever enough to plan it out and use my family against me. And she has the Dark Mark! What if this is one of Voldemort's plans to-"

"You're paranoid," Draco interrupted, his voice somewhat tight. "No more talking. I want to get there as fast as possible…" Which meant that he knew Harry had a point and was loath to admit it.

There was an massive orange glow on the edge of the horizon: London. Harry ignored his numb body as he leaned into Draco, captivated by the reflection of the city lights in the beads of sweat that formed on Draco's pale skin. Harry felt a brief itch to kiss that exposed flesh; it passed quickly yet still unnerved the Boy who Lived. He frowned and closed eyes. _Not even three weeks with Draco, and I'm as gay as cheese. How the hell did he get me like this?_

Thoughts drifted hazily through Harry's mind like dandelion seeds in the wind; every time he thought of his mistakes and his situation, these grim prospects were blown away by more possibilities of becoming Voldemort's rival. Eyes shut and head down, Harry clung tightly to Draco and allowed himself to be carried toward the hazy lights of London.

* * *

"Ouch! Draco, you keep stomping on my foot!" 

"Bitch, bitch, bitch," Draco hissed in Harry's general direction. With an air of utmost superiority, the wicked boy began to squeak, "Oh! My toes, my sweet, precious toes! Oh, woe is me! How shall I ever defeat the Dark Lord with my toes so horribly wounded?"

"Not funny," Harry growled, trying to massage his toes through his shoe before setting off under the Invisibility Cloak once more.

"Stop complaining. You know I love you, and I've got no valid reason to intentionally crush your precious digits." He promptly trod on Harry's toe once more, apologizing because he simply couldn't see the Gryffindor's invisible feet. Clearly, Harry wasn't the only thing invisible to Draco. Still apologizing, Draco managed to walk right into a large man, who seemed to have been hit was a powerful Engorgment charm. "Sorry," Draco muttered as the man angrily bounced away, reminding Harry so strongly of his Aunt Marge that he had to stifle his giggles.

The vampire and invisible wizard were currently inside the well hidden Wizarding hospital of St. Mungo's, waiting in line at the desk to ask where a Ron Weasley could be found. Harry found that the task of waiting in line while invisible was quite difficult; Draco wasn't the only one who stepped on him, and their best solution to the problem as of yet was Draco claiming his "imaginary friend" needed some room to breathe. A woman with a rather vicious-looking mole growing from her shoulder had kindly agreed to give Harry some much-needed space, but the Gryffindor was still crowded by nonbelievers.

"Weasley… Weasley, Weasley, AHA. First Floor for Creature-Induced Injuries. Turn right at the stairs, take the next right after that, seven doors down on the left side. Essum Ictus Ward," the bored-sounding man behind the counter rattled when the duo finally reached the front.

"Thanks," Draco muttered. "Hurry, er, Arnold, my dear imaginary friend!" Draco reached out for Harry and somehow managed to pat him on the shoulder.

Though Draco turned away with all speed inhumanly possible, the receptionist suddenly bellowed, "Wait! You look like- aren't you that guy-"

"So I've heard!" Draco laughed, whirling and putting on the most ridiculous grin Harry had ever seen. "Ever since I shaved off my mustache, phew, people keep mistaking me for somebody else! Don't they, Arnold?" Draco gave Harry an expectant look. Harry didn't dare to breathe. The man stared. Draco slowly turned back around and stuck his tongue out at the confused receptionist. "You heard ol' Arnold! I'm just me, visiting my ol' pal Ron! He's expecting us, you know. Come, Arnold!" With that, Draco marched off to the stairs with purpose in his steps, Harry following silently and invisibly behind him.

"Draco Malfoy!" the man yelled. Harry held his breath, holding his hand tightly, preparing to blow people out of the way and run. The vampire appeared equally tense. "Mr. Weasley said you'd come, he has a letter for you!" Harry would have cried out in relief if he wasn't so determined to stay hidden. Draco nodded as they finally began to ascend the stairs to Ron.

"What are you going to tell Ron?" Harry whispered when they rounded a corner. Draco laughed.

"Simple! I'll say you had me under the Imperius. Kill two birds with one stone, you know?"

"WHAT! DRACO!"

"Shh! Keep it down! I'm kidding… I'll just have to tell him the truth."

"And what is that truth?" Harry whispered curiously as they rounded the second corner. Draco gave an odd little smirk and said nothing as they entered the Essum Ictus Ward.

Near the far end of the room, Ron lie propped up in a bed, Charlie and Hermione in chairs at his side. The youngest Weasley had a large bandage-like cloth wrapped around his eyes, obscuring most of his freckly face. He was quite still. Charlie appeared to be snoring soundly. Hermione, ever the exception, looked alert and tense. The second Draco entered, Harry saw the flash in her eyes.

The witch leapt to her feet, drawing her wand. Draco froze, just as Harry and the nearest Healer did the same. Hermione's hand shook horribly. Harry could see the scratches Draco had left in her wrist.

"Hello, Granger," Draco said quietly. "I just came to-"

"-Finish what you've started," Hermione concluded grimly. "I figured you would. As sinned the father, so sins the son."

"No!" Draco gasped. "And… and yes." Hermione's eyes widened. Harry stepped in between them, knowing he couldn't be seen but aware that he could shield Draco. The vampire sighed. "I came to set things right for the first time in my life."

* * *

You just KNOW Hermione's gonna curse him anyway. 

Anyway, REVIEWS!

**Aether-person-** Thanks for bringing more readers!

**InsolventDarkTazz-** Mongooses? Well, that's just how Adyn talks.

**Donna-** I was kinda desperate for ideas. Putting Draco's mistress back into the story was the worst mistake EVER, things were better when they were simple.

**Kristina-** This story won't go on much further, but I'm planning a sequel.

**Jujube15-** Silence! You'll make me drool.

**Krippity-** As God is my witness, I have no idea what to say to you.

**Firefly820-** It will all be explained next chapter!

**Plotbunnybrat-** No, Draco doesn't have multiple personalitioes, Adyn does.

**TheDevilsSeductress-** Arf! Arf! Can I have my biscuit now, mistress? n.n

**LooneyLoopeyLupin-** VORGULMORTIS! Hehehe. Vampire Harry... --evil grin-- I think it's too late for Harry to stay human.


	23. Of Ferrets, Snakes, and Twisted Old Men

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_**Reviews at the FOOTNOTE.

* * *

**_

**Part 23- Of Ferrets, Snakes, and Twisted Old Men**

"And that's why I attacked Charlie and hate ferrets so much," Draco concluded. Hermione was busy gaping at him with a slack jaw, wand drooping in her limp hand. Charlie had risen from his slumber, and began to gawk blankly at Draco. Harry, still invisible, leaned against the wall and rubbed his forehead in confusion.

"… What?" Ron asked dumbly, having not moved an inch on his bed. The bandages remained firmly wrapped around his head.

"What do you mean, what? I just explained it to you," the exasperated Draco spat.

"In two minutes, speaking at about a hundred words per second," Charlie pointed out, cocking an eyebrow and tossing his long red hair out of his face. "I've never heard anyone speak so fast. I haven't got a clue what you just said. Something about a puffin, a snake skin, a wallet, some torches and a shell?"

"A Huffelpuff, a Slytherin, a ferret, torture and a cell," Draco sighed. "Really, do I have to explain it all over again?"

"Yes."

Harry strode to Draco's side. Setting his hand on the pale prince of Slytherin's shoulder, he whispered, "Just tell a story. You're very good at that." Hermione was glaring suspiciously in Harry's direction, but the Gryffindor didn't feel like revealing himself in St. Mungo's. Draco nodded glumly and requested permission to sit as he recalled his tale. Though Hermione really wished otherwise and Ron threatened to wet his bed if Draco came near, Charlie overruled their votes and conjured the lithe vampire a seat. Harry smugly decided to sit in Draco's lap, simply to cause annoyance, but Draco didn't seem to mind at all.

And thus, Draco's tale of ferrety homicide began (again).

_It all started when I was young, innocent, and not even four feet tall. This was long before I went to Hogwarts, before I was exposed to the horrors of pureblood trash and Mudblood scum-_

"Excuse me?" Hermione muttered coldly. "I want to know why you attacked Charlie. I don't care about daily life as Draco Malfoy." Harry barely managed to conceal his chuckle. He knew by now that Draco's stories always started like this. The Slytherin in question's lips quirked up in a smile.

_As I was saying, I was innocent then. Mother and father both considered me their prodigy._

_But about a year before I went to Hogwarts, father decided I needed to get a head start working with magic. Above all other things, he wanted me to become an Animagus. He was the king of Slytherin pride; he wanted me to become a snake, just as he had and apparently all his fathers before him._

"But you can't choose your Animagus form," Hermione cut in. "And you obviously didn't become a snake."

Draco scowled. "Don't interrupt your instructor, Granger. I think ten points from Gryffindor ought to fix your attitude problem." Harry had to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop his laughter as Hermione's jaw dropped. Charlie only seemed amused as he leaned back in his chair and rested his head against his arms.

"Go on, professor Draco," Charlie chuckled. "This sounds interesting."

"Thank you, Weasley," Draco said curtly.

_That was where the trouble lay. Father really wanted me to be a snake. Mother didn't. She believed I shouldn't go against my nature and take whatever Animagus form my body wanted. She didn't care about the snake thing; she wasn't into Slytherin pride. In fact, she wasn't in Slytherin. Narcissa Malfoy was a Huffelpuff._

"What?" Harry whispered, shocked. Hermione's head snapped up and she stared straight into Harry's invisible eyes.

"Sorry," Charlie said quickly. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Go on, professor." Hermione seemed to relax, but Harry only went rigid. Charlie knew he was there. How? Draco bit his lip for a moment before going on.

_I guess this requires a bit of back story. You know how slim the pickings are if you only want to marry Purebloods. My grandfather on Lucius' side hated Huffelpuffs, but he hated Muggleborns more; he decided the moment he saw Narcissa that she would be Lucius's wife, and in later years they were forced to marry. This wasn't too bad an arrangement. They both found each other attractive, but on the subject of Houses, they would have the most ferocious of arguments._

_That's why my becoming an Animagus was a problem. The moment father found out I wasn't going to become a snake, he flew into conniptions. That was when my first attempt gave me white fur all over. When I managed to give myself ferret ears, he was so disappointed and angry that he walked out the door and didn't come home for nearly a month. Mother was very confused and angry about this as well. She was happy that my form was a ferret, but she gave me full blame for Lucius walking out on her. She barely spoke to me while he was gone._

_When father came back, he was horribly drunk and raving mad. He locked mother in the dungeon beneath our mansion and insisted that, if I was going to become a ferret, I was going to live in a cage like the other varmints._

"He stuck you in a cage?" Ron asked, wrinkling his freckly nose, which was half hidden by bandages. Draco nodded, his expression unnaturally blank. Harry knew this was one of the joys of Occlumency; not only could you keep others from accessing your thoughts and emotions, but you could detach yourself from those emotions if you had to. Hermione was staring at Draco with all the intensity she showed in every class; no longer angry, she was absorbing his every word like a sponge, her face as blank as his.

"He stuck me in the dungeons, since I couldn't transform properly at that stage. He thought it was only fitting that I be fed cat food while I was in there."

_I was stuck in there for three days. When my mother broke out, she wasn't a bit pleased. I got let out of my cell, but the damage was done… Mother and father had such a horrible row that they nearly killed each other, and only the intervention of other family members prevented them from getting a divorce. I felt horribly guilty about all that. If I had been a snake, none of that would have happened, see?_

_They gave up teaching me to become an Animagus after that, but I'd been inspired. As much as I loved my mother, I wanted Lucius to like me better. I wanted, more than anything, to get back on my father's good side and be his prodigal son again. I know mother didn't want me to go against my nature, but at night I would practice my Animagus transformation by myself… and I tried to turn into a snake._

"You weren't even eleven?" Charlie asked. Draco nodded again. "You barely knew a thing about magic, but you went against your nature? That was dangerous; you could have turned yourself into a nasty mix of snake and ferret. You could have half-transformed your lungs and suffocated."

"I didn't know that at the time. Damn lucky I didn't, or I never would have attempted it." When Charlie said nothing, Draco continued his tale.

_Long before I mastered my transformation, I went off to Hogwarts for my first year. You all know how that was. I didn't get to practice while I was there. I had too many other things to do, like plot your demise. But the moment school was out, I was at it again, hardly getting any sleep as I tried to become a snake for my father._

_I know Harry knew a bit about my family, but you might not. My mother-_

"Harry!" Ron suddenly gasped. He moved, as if he were trying to sit up, but Hermione quickly pressed him back down into the bed. "He's still at the Inn, isn't he?" Draco grimaced. Harry held his breath.

"No," Draco whispered, leaning over Ron's bed-ridden body. "We'll, er, meet up with him again later."

"I thought you were with your mistress?" Hermione demanded.

"Oh, I was, but Harry let me out of the cage."

"_Cage? _What cage?" Charlie snarled.

"She stuck me in an enchanted cage so I couldn't transform back into a human or escape-"

"Harry went to the Dursleys to free you?" Ron asked wildly. "How did he know you were in trouble? Why did he CARE? I thought he was just as mad at you as we were!"

"Later, later, _later!_" Draco snarled. "I'd like to explain, really, but first thing's first! I'm already talking about ferrets!"

"_Where is Harry Potter?_" Hermione burst, standing and pointing her wand at Draco's forehead. This meant, of course, she was also aiming at Harry. The wand was a dangerous inch from his nose. Charlie's calloused hand grasped Hermione's wand and aimed it at the wall.

"He's on Draco's lap," Charlie whispered to her. Harry barely heard him. "Calm down." Glaring suspiciously through Harry's head, the witch sat back down, keeping her wand drawn.

"Is he really?" Ron whispered. Harry frowned to himself before answering.

"Yes, I am," Harry muttered. "Get on with the story, Draco."

"But what happened?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Let him tell the story," Harry said a little louder, "Or I will bludgeon you with fuzzy ducks." Under threat of being bludgeoned by fuzzy ducks from an invisible savior, Hermione feel silent, biting her lip and looking like she wanted to do nothing other than scream. Smiling, Draco adjusted Harry on his lap and restarted the telling of his tale.

_My mother came from that strange part of the family that pretends to be big bad Slytherins, but they're all closet Huffelpuffs. Most of them had Animagus forms resembling Huffelpuff's badger; loads of weasels and ferrets and mongooses-_

"Mongooses?" Harry repeated to himself softly, thinking of little Adyn, who constantly mentioned mongooses.

"Yeah," Draco assured Harry, "Mongooses. My mother's Animagus form was a mongoose, actually."

"Do mongooses mean something to you guys?" Charlie chuckled.

"I'll explain that later," came Draco's firm answer.

_Sometime between first and second year, we had a family reunion at the manor. I was sick, so I stayed in my room through most of it. But apparently father got drunk off his pale arse, so he went and bragged about something completely false- he gave all my little-known relatives the idea that I could transform into a basilisk. They ended up popping up in my room to see if that was true, and father came too._

_He demanded that I show them my Animagus form without bothering to tell me they expected a basilisk. Like I said, I was sick and I hadn't mastered the transformation… I tried my hardest to turn into a snake, but it was awful I turned into a nasty mix of snake and ferret, all scaly with white fur poking out between scale patches, missing a couple limbs. The guests were a lot more horrified than amused, but father had never been so embarrassed._

_My grandfather decided it would be helpful of him to prove I wasn't useless by doing the same screwed up transformation… Of course, he was very bald, and when he transformed he just had empty patches of pink fur, and he looked absolutely ridiculous. People started laughing then…_

_I had had enough. I tried to turn back into a wizard, but then I figured out my cold made transforming harder than usual… When I tried to change back, I could only change my… my…_

Harry couldn't help it but notice that Draco's voice had gone quiet and embarrassment was written all over his face.

"Don't tell me," Charlie said gently, a maniacal grin threatening to take over his calm features, "All you could change were your privates."

Ron choked out a laugh; Hermione's cheeks tinted pink, but she nodded, as if to say it was a mistake anyone could have made. Harry couldn't see it as funny at all. All he could see was the look of disgusted humiliation on Draco's face. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he turned slightly and gave Draco a gentle kiss on the cheek. His pained expression relaxed slightly.

"That's right," Draco grumbled. "Lovely thing to happen at a family reunion, don't you think?"

"Yes, so lovely," Hermione said, trying to keep her lips from twisting into a grin. "Whatever did you do?"

_Well, everybody was laughing by then. Father was so angry and drunk that he turned bright red, and he threatened to hex all the guests off the property if they didn't leave at once. Everybody obliged but Grandfather… He decided to hang back and, once again, mimic my flawed transformation._

"Oh, Merlin, he didn't…" Ron began, disgust written in the visible portions of his face.

"He did," Draco assured him. "It was disgusting. Father really did have to hex him off the property."

_When everyone was gone, father came back to my room. I'd managed to change back, but I was so humiliated that I'd hidden on the top rack in my closet, under my invisibility cloak. He found me anyway. I'd never seen him so angry in my life… He actually used the Cruciatus on me a few times before he passed out. Perhaps it was a good thing he was so drunk at the time. I eventually found out, the hard way, that his Cruciatus hurts more when he's sober._

"Where was your mother?" Hermione whispered, her eyes rather wide. If Draco's face hadn't already been etched with pain and annoyance, it was now.

"She was off trying to convince our relatives to come back. Or, at least that was her excuse. Grandfather told her what had happened, and I think she stayed out of it intentionally."

Harry's mind clouded with rage. Tangling his fingers in Draco's cold ones, he demanded, "Do you mean that she knew he'd hurt you- and she did nothing?" The vampire's head hung, limp blond hair falling over his eyes. Harry shifted and held Draco like a sleeping child might hold a teddy bear, partially because Draco needed a hug, partially because Harry needed one.

"You know, Harry, that looks rather odd," Charlie whispered helpfully. "If you really want to stay invisible, you might want to do less cuddling. Draco looks like somebody's holding him up." Reminded of his need to stay invisible in public, Harry relinquished his hold on his blond boyfriend, leaning against him instead. Draco's chest was shaking slightly, his face suddenly unreadable. "So, Draco… going to continue the story? What happened then?"

"I'd really rather not say," Draco bit out. "You know all you need to know now, right? You know why ferrets bother me so much, and now you know why I was so upset about your joke about a ferret family reunion."

"But you still became a ferret Animagus," Hermione exclaimed. "Why? If you could become scaly and lose your limbs, you were well on your way to becoming a snake!" Draco slowly looked up at her, gray eyes becoming red as he stared her down. Hermione shrank under his gaze.

"That was the day," Draco said clearly, "that I decided to try and become myself instead of my father."

Ron shifted slightly under his crisp hospital blankets. "But you kept on treating us like dirt!"

"I changed. You didn't," Draco said smugly. "I couldn't just become my own person overnight, you know. I'd made the conscious decision to change my ways, but I still ended up acting the same way, especially towards my established friends and enemies. I ended up falling back into the same old crowd; it's just that I took my influence from other sources since then. I listened to my mother more, and she still spoke ill of Mud- er, Muggleborns. I had friends preparing to serve the Dark Lord. All that really changed was my desire not to be my father… and my Animagus form."

And with that, Draco's tale was done. Harry felt it as Draco's chest stopped trembling so much; he could see that Draco's eyes were still red, and it worried the invisible Gryffindor. The wad was silent, everyone else gone from it but other sleeping patients. Hermione and Charlie seemed lost in thought. Ron seemed lost in bed sheets. Harry's mind wandered.

"Hey!" Draco gasped suddenly. Everybody jumped. "The receptionist said you had a letter for me!"

"And so I do!" Charlie exclaimed, standing bolt upright and knocking his chair over. After several seconds of fishing in his pocket, Charlie produced a yellow envelope bearing the Ministry of Magic seal. "One of the Minister's assistants gave it to me, saying they couldn't locate you but they knew we communed often." Harry nearly fell off Draco's lap as the lanky blond snatch the letter from Charlie's calloused fingers.

"Read it!" Hermione pleaded, curiosity glittering in her eyes.

"In my head? Gladly!" Draco replied, tearing the thing open and dragging his eyes across the parchment.

"What does it say?" Harry whispered, trying to lean over Draco's neck more to have a look.

Draco took another minute reading it over. His pale face seemed to turn a bit pinker; his eyes faded back to gray, and Harry was shocked to see a grin puling at the corners of his lips.

"What is it?" Ron asked blindly.

"My father," Draco said, his voice dripping with wicked relish as he tucked the letter in his pocket, "Was declared insane last night."

"Declared insane?" Hermione gasped. "Oh, Draco, I'm- I'm sorry-"

"Sorry?" Draco gasped. "_Sorry! _This is the greatest thing that's happened to me in a long time! He's legally incompetent! Mother is still missing!"

"And this means…?" Harry asked, curious as to why this made Draco happy.

"This means," Draco gleefully cackled, "That my being disowned doesn't matter anymore. The Ministry's not going to hold these things forever! Unless my mother comes back before the end of the week, the Malfoy manor is MINE once again!"

* * *

Think this chapter was long enough? I figured you deserved a long chapter after my long absence. Review or DRACO'S MOM WILL COME BACK AND DRACO WILL NEVER HAVE A HOME AGAIN! 

Anyway, reviews!

**Krippity**- Sweaty hot men will do!

**Arisa-san**- Hugs to you!

**Morena Evensong**- I think I corrected that...

T**heDevilsSeductress**- Mmm, Choloctae covered chocolate chip cookie! Thanks! Accidentally turn Harry when they're doing "stuff"? Maybe I will, ehehehehe, maybe I WILL... 

**Donna**- I hope this chapter was better for you... I'll try to cool it with the random plot twists, I'm trying, I'm trying.

**Siiarrei**- Sorry, we'll never see or hear of "imaginary friend Arnold" again.

**Allaye**- Workin' up to it! wink


	24. The Blond, the Blind, and the Twisted

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_**Whee! No more public reviews! Isn't this place wonderful?

* * *

**_

**Part 24- The Blond, the Blind, and the Twisted**

"The Healers said I'll never be able to see again," Ron informed Draco as he pulled his bandages a bit lower on his face. Draco looked rather ashamed for a moment- not that Ron could see this- and suddenly whipped his arm out, catching Ron faster than a striking basilisk. "Ouch! What-?"

"We'll have to get you one of those fancy sticks for blind folks, Weasley, or perhaps one of those Moody-style eyes," Draco said conversationally. "You were about to walk into traffic."

"Oh," was all Ron could say. Draco guided him back onto the sidewalk, and kindly pointed out that the shirt Ron's poor dead mother had made for him was covered in crispy dead blood. "Oh," was all Ron said once again.

"So, how are you going to make up for losing Ron his vision?" Charlie quietly asked Draco, as he pressed the button to cross the street. The blond scowled at himself, brow furrowed, massaging his temples as he thought.

"Good question," he eventually replied. "I'll tell you when I think of an answer. But anyway, like we were saying…" Draco proceeded to tell the tale of why Harry was under the Invisibility Cloak. Harry had trouble answering when Hermione demanded a rational explanation for his actions; of course, this was because his actions weren't rational.

"But you only had her under the Cruciatus for a few seconds, right?" Hermione demanded, kicking a soda can out of her way.

"Well, er… no," Harry said resentfully. "More like fifteen, twenty…"

"She's a CHILD!" Hermione snarled.

"She's a MURDERER!" Harry countered. "And for all I know, she's a few hundred years old! You can't just call a vampire a child without asking first!" Biting her tongue, Hermione subsided, but here every glance in Harry's invisible direction yielded a more disappointed expression. Annoyed by her glares, Harry decided to give her a mental kick. "Besides, she was blond. Every blond needs a good Cruciatus Curse every once in while." Harry couldn't help it but laugh at the absolutely mortified look on Hermione's face.

"How can you joke about that?" Hermione cried, punching the button so they could cross the street. "Oh, Draco, you're getting a sunburn- _Praesidium Helios!_ How could you be so vile, Harry?"

"How could you cast that in front of Muggles?" Charlie answered, staring at Hermione's wand as the witch hastily hid it in her bag. Harry hoped no Muggles had seen. He hadn't noticed Draco's skin starting to turn red. Cautiously pulling his hand from the cloak for a moment, he was startled to see his own skin crackling slightly. He whispered the spell to his own wand, enjoying a pleasant cooling sensation run over his body, as if he had stepped into the shade.

Charlie was still talking to Hermione. "He was just trying to lighten the mood…"

"Speaking of things becoming lighter," Draco cut in, giving the crosswalk button an extra punch; "Who else is hungry?" Ron stopped dead in his tracks, which was probably a good thing since he was nearly hit by a car.

"I am!" Harry said immediately, realizing it had been almost a full day since he had eaten. For a split second, he wondered why his stomach hadn't informed him of this; he eventually decided it was his slightly vampiric digestive system to blame. _I wasn't this vampiric yesterday, was I?_ "I think there's a burger place down this street a ways. Did the Healers say anything about the wereferret business?"

"Yes!" Ron suddenly snarled. "They said there was no such thing, and even if there was, a spell couldn't change me!" Draco snorted out a laugh and walked headfirst into a telephone poll. Harry couldn't help it but grin.

"Dirty prank," he informed Draco.

"Thank you, though I have no idea what you're talking about!" the Slytherin trilled egotistically, bowing to the Boy who Lived as he caressed his squished nose. "But about this food business…"

"I don't want to become a full-blooded vampire," Harry said immediately. Draco seemed a little uncomfortable with this, but he nodded.

"Yes, so… Granger?" Hermione stuck her nose high in the air and skipped across the street, not even looking at Draco. "Hermione?" She stood resolutely on the other side of the street. Harry and Draco moved across carefully. Charlie ushered Ron to the other side. "Beautiful? Gorgeous? Sweetie, baby, princess?" Draco amazed Harry by leaning against Hermione and batting his large gray eyes at her.

"Slut," Ron coughed.

"That's no way to speak to your girlfriend!" Draco gasped, pretending to give Hermione a consolidating hug. A muscle jumped in Hermione's cheek, and her fingers clenched as if itching to wrap around a pale throat.

"Yeah, Ron!" Charlie chuckled. "I don't see why she puts up with your abusive remarks!"

"He doesn't deserve you," the vampire purred in Hermione's ear. Harry felt a horrid clenching feeling in his gut, not a bit of him enjoying how close Draco had gotten to Hermione.

"Get off me!" Hermione snapped, whirling around and shoving Draco's lithe body off of hers. "I hope you're horribly hungry, because it'll be a sad day in heaven when I let you put your lips on me!" With that, she marched ahead and stomped her way into the aforementioned burger stop, frizzy brown hair whipping around her neck.

"Bloody wanker," Ron bit out at Draco, hurriedly rushing in after Hermione with his arms out so as not to run into anything. Shaking his head, the vampire stalked regally into the burger joint. Harry was left outside with Charlie.

The eldest remaining Weasley tucked his hands in his jean pockets, staring oddly at Harry. It was like the last time he was with Dumbledore; Harry knew with unsettling certainty that Charlie could see him just as well with or without that Invisibility Cloak on. "So," Harry said uncomfortably.

"You know what you're getting into, don't you?" Charlie asked softly. "I don't know why somebody's impersonating Niles, but I'm sure it's got something to do with you. It might be hard to get out of this mess." Harry didn't answer. Charlie pulled a few coins from his jacket pocket, twiddling them through his fingers. He was clearly trying to make it appear as though he were talking to himself, not an invisible wizard. "It's happening too fast. I saw you casting that spell."

"Oh, come on," Harry groaned. "I'm still a wizard."

"Keep on saying that, Harry, you might believe it." Charlie put the coin in in his pocket, fiddled with his dragon fang earring for a moment, and fished a galleon out of his pocket. Harry wondered, briefly, where Charlie had gotten the money; but he said nothing. "And the Dark Mark…?"

"You were right about that," Harry said coldly. He moved to stand by the door of the burger stop, waiting for somebody to open it so that his entry wouldn't be so suspicious. "But you're wrong about this. So I sunburn easy and have better vision-"

"And you've got a near-telepathic connection with Draco, and you've got no appetite, and garlic mustard is out to get you-"

"I'm a wizard!" Harry snarled, a little louder than he intended. A Muggle girl walking her dog jumped, looked around suspiciously, and lead her puppy off.

"Some people call it a Dark Gift, like Parseltongue," Charlie reflected, flipping a shiny coin.

"Well, I call it a curse. I'm gifted enough on a broomstick." Harry glowered at the door. Why wouldn't somebody open it? Why wouldn't Charlie open it, for that matter?

"Listen," Charlie sighed. He proceeded to creep Harry put by clapping a strong, reassuring hand on the smaller man's shoulder. It was the accuracy of this move that unnerved Harry. "Your bonds with Draco go too deep. You've already got it. It's too late to stop it. You can't win against love. If I were you, I'd stick my neck out for Draco." Harry stood absolutely still, horrified that Charlie would even think these things. "Besides," Charlie added, his tone a little lighter as he grinned. "It might be easier to kill a vampire if it mistakes you for a mortal."

"But I want to be a wizard," Harry sputtered.

"It's little late for that now! And just so you know, I support that wonderful Vorgulmortis and Dragon idea all the way." Harry's jaw dropped. _How did he know about that? _Ignoring Harry's horrified expression, Charlie opened the door to the burger stop, whirling to face Harry with a grin. "So, how do you feel about Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and bacon?"

* * *

With bellies stuffed with burgers (with the exception of Draco, who still ran on empty) the little group fled the burger joint, driven on by the wild cursing of the cashier. "You're absolutely _vile_!" Hermione roared at Harry as she ushered the blind and confused Ron from the shop. "You just _had_ to light the man's toupee on fire, didn't you!"

"Did you hear what he called Draco!" Harry snapped in response.

"I'm glad you care, but that was a bit severe!" Draco chided. "Just because you're invisible, that doesn't mean the ministry won't know you've been casting the Cruciatus and whatever that other charm was!" The group stopped before the next street, relieved that they weren't being chased.

"I sort of made it up," Harry panted. "_Mordrus Inflamari_, makes black flames in the shape of the Dark Mark… what! I figured he could use something along the lines of 'divine punishment'-"

"So, you're divine now?" Ron muttered.

"No, I meant that it probably looked like divine punishment to him-"

"You could have hit his face and seriously hurt him," Charlie informed Harry. He kept nervously playing with his dragon fang earring and tossing his long red hair (which was, by that time, disheveled and pathetically un-sexy). "And that could be considered assaulting a Muggle as well as violating the Stature of Secrecy… Oh, it's the little white stick-man! Let's cross before Harry does something else illegal."

"He still deserved it," Harry pouted.

"I must respectfully disagree," Draco whispered in Harry's ear as they reached the other side of the street. "It would have been much better if you'd just let me drag him into the bathroom and have my own luncheon." Harry kicked a stop sign in disgust. Draco chuckled and raised his voice. "Does anybody know where we're going?"

"Well, of course I know where I'm taking you!" called Charlie, who was ironically not in the lead. "We're going back to the White Ferret Inn, to get our stuff and move back to the Leaky Cauldron." Hermione almost knocked Ron over as she crashed into Draco. Harry stumbled on the hem of his cloak and nearly toppled over in his shock.

"We're doing what!" Draco bellowed. "That's where Niles wants us to be for her trap! You're leading us to our deaths!"

"No, my dear Draco," Charlie chuckled. "I'm leading you to your clothes, which I'm sure you can't do without."

"We can live without our _fripperies_!" Harry tried to reason, yet his voice sounded awkward as he tripped on a fire hydrant. "You've got your wands with you, right? And your wallets and keys? We can wait until tomorrow morning to go back! We can even call the Muggle police to go there first and make sure it's safe for us to enter, or something!"

"It'll be fine," Charlie stated, finality in his voice. "Trust me."

Quite suddenly, Harry found himself doing just the opposite.

The rest of their journey to the White Ferret passed in silence. Hermione seemed to be brooding, constantly shooting suspicious glares at Harry, Draco, and Charlie. Ron occasionally stepped onto the road when he shouldn't have, forcing Draco to catch him with his unnatural speed every few minutes. Charlie was the perfect image of bliss, humming and adding a light skip to his step, clearly trying to make the others feel they had no reason for concern; Harry thought it made him look psychotic and happy about walking into a death-trap.

There were no cars in the White Ferret's parking lot. "Maybe she's not here yet," Harry whispered to nobody in particular.

"Maybe she doesn't drive," Hermione briskly suggested. "Wands out? Let's get this over with."

"No!" came a shrill voice behind them. Harry whirled around to see Adyn, who had not been there a moment ago and was, strangely, dressed entirely in baggy male clothing. Her blond hair was tied back with a rubber band and mostly hidden by a baseball cap that almost slid off her head, it was so large.

"Adyn," Draco muttered. Charlie grasped Ron's hand and pulled his blind brother behind him, as if forming a protective barrier with his own body.

"Hello," Harry said quietly, certain that Adyn already knew he was there. "I would apologize, but you deserved what you got." Hermione tried to slap Harry's arm but missed by several feet.

The black vampire clearly had other things on her mind. Her orange eyes were wide, her arms clutched about her as if to hide some horrible injury. "Do you all want to be heroes, or martyrs?" Her voice shook. Confused, Harry remained silent. The others seemed incapable of making any sense of this either. "If you want to be heroes, you must do many horrible things. If you want to be martyrs all you must do is die."

"And why are you mentioning this?" Draco asked awkwardly.

"Because Adyn doesn't want to be either," the little vampire stammered. "Adyn doesn't want to get involved anymore. The imposter really wants Mr. Potter dead, and now she doesn't care who gets hurt. Adyn wants to stay out here where it's safe and peaceful, where the crazy evil mongooses and crazy starved fledglings can't hurt her." Her glowing orange gaze became fixed on the door behind them, the door to room 128. "In the door, into death," she concluded.

Silence reigned.

"That's nice," Harry said after a minute. "Bugger off." With that, he whirled around, clutching his wand tightly as he moved toward the door.

"It's so peaceful out here," Adyn commented. Her orange eyes slid slightly out of focus as she looked skyward. "Adyn can almost see the stars." Harry paused, allowing Ron and Hermione to catch up with him. The small vampire's voice became a bit harsher. "Mr. Potter is walking into the kill zone, but that's his own damn problem. It's none of Adyn's business if he wants to die."

"Too right, it's not," Charlie told her. He set a hand on Harry shoulder. "Let's go in."

"Burial or cremation?" Adyn called. "Daisies or primroses?"

"Ignore her, Harry," Hermione said softly, ushering Harry toward the door. Charlie handed the keys to Harry; the small Gryffindor opened the door with a click, only to be greeted by darkness.

"Oh, you poor dummies," Adyn choked. "Adonis has a thing, a thing she must take care of now! Adyn is sorry, I- I tried!" Harry spared her a glance as the blond twisted on her heel and hurtled away from the Inn, her long ponytail bouncing behind her as she fled.

Harry turned back to the dark room and flicked on the light.

"How are you, gentlemen?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **I'm so ashamed. That's probably the worst chapter ending EVER. Anyway, you'll have to forgive me, I'm not good at hinting plot twists approach. 

**NEXT CHAPTER:** Do I detect a FINAL BATTLE? Mysteries will be solved! Someone will die (perhaps more than one someone, actually!) and "our heroes" will gain an unexpected ally! Only one more chapter andthe Epilogue remain for DKP... Then I can get started on the sequel. DON'T HURT ME FORPLANNING A SEQUEL!


	25. And Then the World Exploded

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_**WARNING: This chapter is absolutely freaking HUGE, and it's not the least bit funny. If you read this story for the humor, you might as well stop reading now.

* * *

**_

**Part 25- And Then the World Exploded**

"I'm doing well. How are you, ma'am?" Charlie asked smoothly.

The vampiress seemed slightly put off by Charlie's cool response, but her big bottle-green eyes kept their menacing glow. Niles had been lounging on the pale ferret-ridden bed, a dark spot in a clean and empty room that was exactly as they'd left it. She'd dyed the tips of her hair black. Gone were her bright and cheerful Muggle clothes; the ebony vampire was dressed in a tattered black chemise. What little light pierced the room only served to give her diamond-encrusted undergarments a sparkle and light up her massive green eyes. Draco coughed slightly and shifted in grudging appreciation for her appearance.

"Nice outfit," Hermione commented dryly, stepping into the room behind Ron and Draco. Tossing her fluffy brown hair and tightening her grip on her wand, the witch slowly reached toward the light switch. "Your work clothes, I presume?" Harry snorted back a laugh that quickly became an enraged shout.

The split second Hermione clicked the lights on, a massive set of beefy hands grasped Hermione's throat. Even larger, more wrinkled ones latched around Draco, who shrieked in shock and tried in vain to break loose. Frail, thin hands clamped over Ron's face; they hauled the shocked wizard towards the chest of their owner.

Harry turned his wand on the surprise attackers… and froze. A bloodstained Dudley with horribly empty eyes had Hermione in a headlock. Petunia's perfectly normal blouse had been nearly torn from her body. Although her face was a grim, drawn mask with unnaturally long teeth and a splash of gore on her cheek, her eyes were as cold and emotionless as the tiles of the bathroom floor. Her elongated fingers held Ron's mouth shut as he tried to kick and bite at her. Worst of them all was Vernon, whose right leg was mangled to the point of bone being visible… yet he still walked and he still managed to hold a snarling and spitting Draco in place.

Harry felt trapped. They were dead now, they were under the Imperius, they needed help but Harry didn't know what to do…

"Good boy, Vernon!" Niles clapped, rising from the bed. Her bright voice brought anger bubbling to the surface of Harry's mind. He'd had so many things to distract him that he'd given very little thought to what had become of his family; now all he could do was seethe, confronted with the monstrosity of Niles' actions. Mother or not, this creature was a monster no better than Voldemort. Turning from his freshly murdered family and struggling friends, the Wizarding World's Chosen One turned his wand on the perky green-haired whore. She completely ignored him, favoring the attention of her brain-dead servants. She narrowed her eyes at Draco. "You keep a good grip on that blond one, he's possessed."

Harry didn't just want her to die. Harry wanted to watch her scream. Harry wanted to watch her burn. Harry wanted to watch her writhe in agony, knowing only the pain she'd caused him. Harry wanted her to collapse on the ground, Harry wanted her to be in so much mental and physical anguish that she couldn't even scream. Coherent thought fled his mind. He was either going to cast the Cruciatus, Sectumsempra, Obliviate, Petrificus Totalus, or his newly invented flaming Dark Mark curse. He didn't give himself time to decide which.

_"Petricrusectum Incendimortalus!"_

Niles had only just turned her eyes towards him before the black curse hit. She was flung into the wall before the hybrid spell really began to work it's magic. Like the Sectumsempra, it began to rip at it's victim, but this curse was an artistic one; it carved the Dark Mark into the vampire's torso and a lightning bolt into her face. Her torn body convulsed as she slid down the wall. One by one, her joints became rigid as she fell, mouth wide open in a silent scream as she finally hit the ground in a pool of her own dead blood. Her diamond lingerie suddenly looked like ruby, her chemise going up in flames.

It wasn't enough for Harry. He raised his wand again.

"Wait," Charlie calmly instructed, plucking the wand from Harry's fingers.

"Wh-what?" Harry sputtered, confused and boiling with rage. The redhead only fiddled with Harry's wand, avoiding Harry's eyes.

"If you're going to become a Dark Wizard, you need to keep your guard up at all times, even when you're torturing prostitutes," Charlie decreed lightly. He gave Harry one of his friendly old smiles, but this was different; it was laced with poisonous remorse. "You know, we came here to kill her so everybody could become human again… But all we've done is create a different kind of monster."

That brought Harry slamming back into reality. His scantily clad victim was thrashing on the floor, the petrifying part of the spell wearing off as her muscles went into spasms of pain. The flames had spread to her hair. Her voice was beginning to return, but the only sound that came through was something between a choke and a scream. The pool of her blood was only growing and it had nearly reached Harry's shoes. "There's a counter-curse, _right?"_ Charlie hinted.

Harry choked, fell to his knees, and puked on a ferret-shaped 'do not disturb' doorknob sign that had been knocked to the floor.

"_Finite Incantum_," Charlie recited, pointing Harry's wand hopefully at the twitching vampiress. The effect was instantaneous. Harry watched through tear-filled green eyes as the fires went out and Niles stopped moving altogether. "That's better! Well, maybe." Coughing and gagging, Harry wiped his lips and blinked away more tears, watching in horrified awe as Niles' flesh knitted itself back together… "Crap," Charlie mumbled. "You might want this back." He shoved Harry's wand back into the younger wizard's hand and swiftly pulled Harry to his feet. Niles' face was contorted with rage, her fists knotting as she rigidly sat up with all the dramatic flair of the vampires in Muggle movies. Harry gulped down a last small bit of bile.

"That hurt," Niles eventually bit out.

"It was supposed to," Charlie informed her.

"You've… ruined my favorite clothes."

_"Reparo," _Charlie cast softly. Niles said nothing as her chemise fixed itself, though the blood remained. _"Scourgify." _The blood vanished. Charlie received no answer. "You're welcome." Silence. "Bitch."

Harry used the hem of his invisibility cloak to dry his eyes once more… and that's how he got his first real taste of a vampire's speed.

The wizard had only to blink before Niles went from sitting on the floor to pinning him against the wall. Harry hadn't had time to cast a spell before she ripped his wand from his hand and slammed her palm into his mouth, effectively silencing him. She twisted a leg around him to keep him from kicking; with her free hand she pressed his chest against the wall so hard he could hardly breathe. Harry was pinned to the wall like a bug in a collection.

"I wasn't expecting a curse like that from you," the vampire hissed, inches from Harry's face. Her breath stank of… vanilla and mint. _That's odd,_ Harry found himself thinking. "Hold still so I can-"

"Pardon me, but what are you going to do with him?" Charlie asked loudly. Harry took a deep breath through his nose, glancing over Niles' shoulder at the eldest Weasley, who was pointing his wand at Niles with one hand and fiddling with his earring with the other. Behind Charlie, Draco and Harry's two best friends struggled and kicked in silence as they fought to escape the clutches of the undead and Imperius'd Dursleys, who made no moves save some adjustments in their grip.

Niles twisted her head around, glowering at Charlie whilst keeping a tight grip on Harry. "You have to ask? I'm going to drain him to submission and take him to the Dark Lord as an early Christmas present." Harry considered biting her hand; however, given that his wand was far beyond his reach, he decided to wait for a better opportunity.

"I see," Charlie said slowly. He bit his lip lightly and stopped twiddling his dragon fang earring, shaking his red head as he took another step towards Harry. There was very little to give away his motive on his face. "I thought you told him that the Dark Mark was only skin deep?"

"It's just a tattoo," Niles hissed, pulling herself to her full (and intimidating) height, and tightening her grip on Harry's face. The wizard flinched as her long nails dug into his cheek, but he did nothing. "The Mark is only skin deep, but my loyalty to the Dark Lord goes down to the soul!" Harry was thankful for his invisibility cloak and Dudley's horribly long sweater; he dreaded Niles response if she saw the Mark on her victim's arm.

"You have a _soul?" _Draco snidely cut in, having finally freed his mouth from Vernon's armpit but not yet freed his whole body. "Who'd you have to sleep with to get a thing like _that?" _Vernon gave him a rough punch in the gut.

"Don't you use that tone with me, pretty, pretty, pretty! I _made_ you!" Niles snarled, the Dark Mark on her arm starting to appear in thin black lines. Her hand slid slightly away from Harry's mouth.

"Get her off of-" Harry began to bellow, but she pressed her hand over his mouth again. Harry watched Charlie over her shoulder, pleading with his eyes, but Charlie did nothing. Dudley made an odd grunting noise as Hermione managed to land a sturdy kick to his carnal cattle-prod; Ron and Draco froze as Dudley brought Hermione's head slamming into the door, all her struggling coming to an abrupt halt. Harry felt as if somebody had dropped an ice cube down his back. _She'd better be okay!_

"I'll have none of that, Potter," Draco's mistress whispered. She whisked his Invisibility cloak off and pressed him a bit harder against the wall, causing Harry's chest to burn slightly from the pressure. "Are you going to stop me, Charlie?"

Charlie only rolled his eyes.

"Get your slimy tentacles off him!" Draco gagged from under Vernon's woolly arm; Harry noted that a pair of ferret-like ears vanished quickly from Draco's head and assumed the blond Slytherin had tried in vain to escape by transforming.

Charlie straightened his jacket and gave Niles a pleasant smile, saying nothing. "Get this leech off me!" Harry pleaded to Charlie. To his growing horror, Charlie's smile became a smirk and he still made no move to help. "What's the matter with you! She's going to- Charlie, _help me!"_

His voice rose to a shriek, for Harry had seen the maniacal glint her eye. He tried to dodge out to the side, but she was faster.

Charlie's hair looked red before the fangs impaled Harry. Red became redder as Niles bore down on him, digging in deep and drawing Harry's blood in fountains. The pain was white-hot; this was so much worse than Draco's most vicious bite: Harry screamed, Harry kicked and Harry struggled as he tried to twist away. It only made the pain redouble and instinct soon forced Harry to hold still. He could feel it as Niles sucked hard and forced his blood to speed through his veins, working his heart into an empty overdrive, creating a sensation akin to having his heart ripped out. Harry was washed in a deluge of crimson.

The unmoving Charlie became a blinding blaze as adrenaline assaulted Harry's damaged and suddenly blood-deprived mind. It was all he could do not to pass out. Harry's breathing was fading like static on a dying TV station. He had no air left to scream with; all he knew through the haze were pain, darkness, and flashes of horrible sensation. It wasn't just the bite; Niles attacked him with her fingernails, there were hands ripping chunks of flesh from his torso.

Harry wanted to scream and push her away, but he had forgotten how to breathe and his voice would not come; his body had suddenly stopped responding to his brain. He could vaguely feel his body going cold. He thought he could hear the creature's dead heart beating as she stopped assaulting him with her hands and held him in a crushing embrace. Though his eyes were frozen wide open, the world began to fall to darkness.

Harry realized that he was going to die, that Charlie had betrayed them, and that he was a complete dumb-ass for not realizing these things earlier. He felt almost as if he were floating. The darkness was about to take him…

A loud cracking noise and the sensation of fangs being ripped out of his neck nearly brought Harry back to reality. Harry closed his swimming, burning eyes. People were shouting and he could feel his weak pulse throbbing in every hole in his gut; he knew the was no way in hell he could possibly survive this, but somehow somebody had gotten Niles off him and bought him a few more seconds.

"Hold on!" An urgent voice whispered above him, muffled and echoing oddly in Harry's ears. "You'll be fine, it's alright, just stay with me…" A few hazy moments passed; someone was moving his body and soon Harry felt an odd pressure against his lips. In his blurry brain Harry knew there was something wrong about this, and that he should be worried, but he was too far gone to move against it. A thick, syrupy liquid flooded his mouth.

Then Harry understood.

Harry tried to cough it up or move away, but gentle fingers quickly massaged the blood down his resisting throat, and Harry could do nothing about it. Images from Draco's past spilled into Harry's drowning mind; Lucius taught Draco how to ride a broom, Dobby cowered in a corner as Draco threw a fit because his toast was cold, Draco had been so terrified when he fell in the fountain and nearly drowned…

Fighting off this Legilimency-like connection, Harry drew a rattling breath over the blood and made a gurgling noise in protest. He only hoped Draco felt the connection enough to understand Harry's desperate thoughts: _I don't want to be a vampire yet!_

Life suddenly returned to Harry's hands; he twitched his fingers as another voice screamed, "Get off him! Let him die! He doesn't deserve you!" Harry's eyes drifted open. Through Draco's fine blond hair and the bombardment of flashbacks to Draco's past, Harry could see a very blurry Niles tied down to the bed. She was thrashing wildly and putting up a real stink as she glared daggers at the boys. Charlie stood beside the bed with a wooden board held menacingly in his left hand and a wand in his right. _So, that's where the cracking noise came from. He hit her with the board._ Niles carried on with her screaming. "He's a half-blood, Draco! He made your life hell for years! Why are you saving him? What possessed you to like him in the first place!"

Harry felt his hands becoming numb, which was a great improvement to not feeling them at all. Over the salty-sweet flavor of Draco's blood, Harry vaguely wondered how the Slytherin had gotten out of Vernon's grasp. Through his peripheral vision, Harry could see Hermione's eyes fluttering as she began to stir. Dudley still had a hand clamped over her lips. Vernon wasn't in sight. Ron was fighting Petunia's grip.

With one lucky kick in the knee, Ron broke out of Petunia's arms. Hesitating for only a second, Ron hurtled out the door, screaming "bloody murder!" Harry felt a moment's relief, knowing that a blind Ron would be able to attract helpful attention; even the Muggle Police would be better than no help at all.

Feeling began to return to Harry's arms and legs. Draco kneeled above him, holding him close as a gash in the blonde's neck bleed profusely onto Harry's parchment. _Just a little more… _Strength had finally returned to Harry; no longer feeling the wounds he'd sustained, the Gryffindor grasped Draco's shoulders and pulled him away.

Harry was shocked to see the look on Draco's face; huge black bags had formed under his eyes, his skin had become so pale it would put the moon to shame, his cheeks had sunken in slightly, bloody tears had drenched his cheeks. He looked as if he'd been crying for a month without eating or drinking. _Is that what blood loss does to vampires?_ Harry had planned on yelling at Draco for bringing him so much closer to becoming a vampire, but that horrible face drove all anger from his head. "What were you thinking?" Harry croaked, gagging on the last remnants of the blood in his mouth. "Are you trying to die?"

"If you didn't survive, I wouldn't either," Draco rasped, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he weakly pulled Harry into a hug.

"Now I see why Lucius wanted you disowned!" Niles screamed from the bed. Harry bit his lip, noting that his gums tingled oddly. "How could you betray your blood like this? How dare you even think of throwing away your life for this trash!"

"It's called love," Charlie cut in, "And it's a real shame you never knew how it felt, Narcissa." He lifted the wand in his right hand. Harry felt a nasty feeling of dread sinking into his gut. The drinking of Polyjuice Potion, the murder and Imperius of the Dursleys, the trap- no vampire born from Muggles could have orchestrated all these things. But _why, of all people, would Draco's mother do all this? When did she become a vampire?_

"Narcissa?" Draco asked in alarm, beginning to turn towards Niles. On impulse, Harry caught Draco's face and forced him to look away. "Let go! What are you suggesting, Weasley? That's-"

"A load of crock!" Niles finished for him, snarling and trying to bite Charlie's wand hand, though she was bound to the headboard.

"Don't look, Dragon," Harry whispered, cradling Draco in his arms and forcing Draco's eye away from the vampiress on the white ferrety bed. Hermione's eyes bugged out as Charlie held one wand over Niles' chest and another over her neck. Even if Harry could move fast enough, he wouldn't have stopped the freckled wizard.

Harry closed his eyes a split second before Niles' agonized scream rattled the walls of the inn. Draco broke out from Harry's grip and stumbled toward the bed, but Harry resolutely kept his eyes firmly shut, even after the scream died down into a choke, a sob, and silence.

"What did you do?" Hermione shrieked. Harry opened his eyes and turned to her. To his astonishment, Dudley had let go of her and slumped down to the floor. Beside him, Petunia lay in a twitching heap. Harry could now see Vernon sprawled on the ground outside the door; Draco must have knocked him backwards when he escaped. Hermione dashed to Charlie… and hit him across the face. Harry stared in confusion, not letting his eyes wander to Niles or Draco.

"What was that for!" Charlie whined, rubbing his red cheek.

"She had them under the Imperius, you… you dolt!" Hermione raged. "Don't you know anything? Until they fight off the curse, they're just puppets without a puppet master! They're empty shells! They might turn human, but they'll be brain-dead!"

"Human and brain-dead?" Harry repeated, turning his gaze to the fallen Dursleys once more. He wasn't the least bit surprised to find that he could now see the individual blood vessels in their throats. "Mmm, that'll be a major improvement…"

Unable to delay it any longer, Harry turned to Draco. The pallid vampire stood over the bed, swaying slightly in a bloodless swoon. Niles was stationary on the sheets, wrists still roped to the headboard, with a wand protruding from her still chest. Her bright green eyes were still open, a look of shock and pain disfiguring her pretty face… which had been sliced off of her body. "That can't be my mother," Draco croaked after a pregnant moment. He suddenly slumped over and fell face first onto the bed, despite Charlie's efforts to turn and catch him. Despite having his mouth mashed into the thick white blankets, Draco continued to slur, "She's definitely not the woman that turned me, but she's not my mother."

Using the wall to prop himself up, Harry stumbled to his feet. Charlie gave him a concerned look. Hermione shook her head and knelt to check on the health of the Dursleys. "All right there, Harry?" Charlie asked cautiously. Harry frowned and looked down at his chest. He could see the tears in his shirt and the blood when from Niles had torn into him, but beneath the cloth his skin was unmarked.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry mumbled. "Draco?"

"Yes, love?" Draco asked the blanket. Harry stumbled forward and nearly collapsed over Draco, but he managed to stay upright as he set a hand on Draco's back.

"Did you hear a word she said?" Harry asked quietly. "She accused you of being a blood-traitor. I think she might really be…" Harry trailed off, rubbing circles in Draco's back. "She was mad. It wasn't just blind loyalty to Voldemort. She wouldn't do all this just to give him a surprise birthday present or some crap like that."

"Well, duh. Any idiot could have told you she was mad," Draco snarled into the stained blankets. "But you must be mad as well if you think that's my mother." Harry could think of nothing to say.

Hermione stood over Petunia, her expression grim as she tossed her puffy brown hair out of her eyes. "They're human again," Hermione announced. "And they need some medical help. I hope Ron's gotten hold of somebody helpful…"

"Shut the door!" Charlie suddenly commanded. Hermione snapped to attention. "What if some random Muggle looks in the door and sees a dead girl tied onto the bed? How's that going to make us look?" Hermione quickly moved to shut the door, and froze just as she grabbed the doorknob. "What is it?"

"Harry, get under the cloak!" Hermione suddenly hissed. A small prickle of dread passed through Harry's body. He stood upright and took a step towards the cloak that had been cast into the corner- and stumbled. "Hurry, hurry, it's a Ministry official!" To Harry's immense relief, Charlie strode past and tossed the cloak to his awaiting arms. He'd barely swept the cloak over his body before a large man tromped up to the door holding a slip of paper.

Harry's first impression was that the man must be related to Rufus Scrimgeour. He had the same lion-like appearance, same wild mane of hair, same fierce yellowish eyes- even though said eyes were blinking a bit stupidly. He was dressed in a massive pair of tan coveralls, a peculiar kind of hat Harry had never seen the like of before, and large red rubber boots. A large badge on his chest read "M.O.M".

"Good day, I am Leif Scrimgeour, here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic to investigate the use of an unidentified curse in a Muggle-inhabited area," the man drawled languidly. His eyes widened slightly. He only just seemed to take in the fact that he was surrounded by dead, unconscious, and young people. Harry slinked into the corner, making sure his Invisibility cloak was wrapped tightly around him. "May I ask what's going on?"

"Well, you see…" Charlie began to sputter.

"It's just that…" Draco mumbled into the blanket, also apparently incapable of conjuring up a proper fib.

"That woman is a murderer!" Hermione cried, coming to their rescue. "She turned Draco into a vampire and she did the same to Harry Potter's relatives, and she put them under the Imperius, she was going to use them to hurt Harry- we had to do something!"

Leif Scrimgeour scrunched up his nose and loped over to the bed, pulling Draco off the blankets by the collar of his robe. The shaken vampire only stared at him through hollow red eyes. "If she turned you into a vampire and she's dead, how come you haven't turned back?" Leif asked suspiciously, guiding Draco to a nearby chair.

"We think she might be an imposter using Polyjuice Potion," Charlie added. "Her daughter came and told us her suspicions. I have a pretty good idea who she really is, but we'll just have to wait and see." Leif raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're… Charlie Weasley?" Charlie nodded and quickly introduced Hermione and Draco. Leif turned back to Hermione. "You mentioned Harry Potter's relatives?"

"Yes, they're the ones lying on the floor," Hermione pointed. "They need to be taken to St. Mungo's!"

"Trying to take down Harry Potter… Is this woman a Death Eater?" Leif plowed on, glaring at Niles' corpse and receiving nods in answer. "So, this unidentified curse…" Harry bit his lip, realizing the conversation had turned to him.

"This vampire's name is Niles, or at least we think so, but anyway, she used the curse on Draco," Hermione blurted. "She used it to incapacitate him, then she bit him. That's why he's in such a state, sir." Leif glanced at Draco, taking in his cadaverous appearance. "Charlie got her off him by knocking her on the head with a board and tying her to the bed… Then… well, he…" Hermione faltered, realizing she was going to get Charlie chucked in Azkaban for murder if she finished that sentence.

Luckily, Leif didn't pursue Charlie's actions. "Who's wand is that?" He demanded to know, gesturing the black wand sticking out of Niles' chest. It was black. Harry felt as if someone was rubbing his back with an ice cube. That was his wand.

"It's Harry's, sir," Hermione stated, her voice shaking. "We were holding it for him…"

"And where is Harry Potter?"

Dead silence. Harry sat far out of the way, trying not to breathe too loudly.

"We don't know," Draco spoke up. "He came to us last night, gave Charlie his wand, and just walked away. He said he needed some time alone."

"Without his wand?" Leif asked skeptically. He received no reply. Draco, Hermione, and Charlie kept giving each other nervous looks, as if pleading with each other telepathically for an answer. "Would this have anything to do with the Cruciatus Curse recently detected at his residence in Surrey?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked dully.

"Somebody cast a Cruciatus Curse at Mr. Potter's residence in Surrey," Leif said clearly. "Did you know that?" Muttered denial and shaking heads were his only answer. "Well, I suppose he didn't tell you he planned on doing anything illegal…" Leif strode across the ferret-contaminated room, squeaking his red boots. Harry slid under the bed to dodge his feet, but Leif's destination was the chair in the corner. He pulled it up, sat heavily, and stared down the inhabitants of the room. "_Expecto Patronum_," he said after a minute. A silvery beaver sprang from the tip of his wand and whisked out the door. "Just sending a message to the Ministry. Now then…"

"I didn't-" Charlie began to say, but Leif cut him off.

"What happened?" Leif asked softly. "What just happened, and the events that led up to it? In chronological order, if you please."

Harry remained locked under the bed, listening avidly as Hermione weaved a tale for Leif Scrimgeour. The only facts she warped involved Harry. According to Hermione, Draco escaped Niles' cage on his own and Harry had simply walked away from them about three hours later. She couldn't explain the rationality of leaving his wand behind, and Harry had to suppress a groan when Charlie suggested that Harry might have gone mad. They explained away that Niles had taken Harry's wand from Charlie's pocket to curse Draco and bite him. Harry was nowhere in their explanation; Charlie decidedly lied that Niles had intended on bringing Draco to the Dark Lord to use as bait for Harry. They also claimed that they had only met Adyn outside the Inn, and that none of them could have possibly placed her under the Cruciatus.

"So, she placed these Muggles under the Imperius," Leif grumbled after a while.

"Yes, sir, they still are," Hermione sheepishly informed him.

"And yet," Leif said hesitantly, "you say that this vampire was a Muggle before she was turned." Had Harry not been convinced that the dead vampire on the bed was really Narcissa, he would have been surprised.

"Adyn did say she was an imposter using the Polyjuice Potion," Charlie muttered. Draco had fallen asleep in his chair- or passed out, either one was likely. Leif stood and strode over to the beheaded and staked corpse.

"I think we're about to see the truth," Leif rumbled. Harry heard twin gasps from Hermione and Charlie. Realizing that something was happening, Harry skittered quietly out from under the bed, cautiously poking his head over the side like a prairie dog making sure the coast was clear. Though Draco was still curled in a stock-still heap on his chair, Hermione and Charlie had gotten to their feet and moved to the bed. Their gazes were fixed upon the Niles' still form.

Perhaps still wasn't the best word. Though not a muscle moved, her skin, her shape, even her skin tone, every part of her… it was changing. Starting from the roots, her hair began to turn white; as the color spread to the tips, her hair lengthened dramatically. Her nose slowly became longer, her skin fading and becoming terribly pale. Her long legs shifted slightly, shortened and thinned. As her arms went from black to white, the Dark Mark on her forearm flared and burned black. Last to change were her eyes, fading from green to pale silvery blue.

"By Jove," Leif whispered. "The lady Malfoy. I always knew she was vile, but this takes the cake!"

"Huh?" came a soft voice from behind them. Harry felt a horrible sinking feeling as he saw Draco's eyelashes flutter. _He can't see this! He'll fall apart!_ Harry crossed his fingers and hoped that some divine intervention would prevent Draco from noticing his decapitated mother on the bed. He was in luck.

Before Draco's eyes could focus on Narcissa, the door burst open again. Harry noted that it was Ron with more Ministry officials and the Minister himself, but he no longer cared. His only concern was Draco, who watched the newcomers with drowsy interest.

On sudden impulse, Harry whipped his hand out, ripping his black wand from Narcissa's chest and hiding it under his cloak once more. Nobody seemed to notice. The Ministry workers swarmed into the ferrety Inn room; they immediately began to photograph Narcissa and interrogate poor Charlie, who grudgingly tried to retell Hermione's version of the events that transpired. Ron stood in the doorway for a few seconds before Hermione leapt at him and smother him with kisses.

Rufus Scrimgeour, with all his lion-like, sloping grace, glowered about the room. "Leif," he nodded.

"Rufus," Leif nodded. Harry grinned in spite of himself. _Brothers! Of course._

Rufus glowered all about the room, at the bloodstained walls and the mutilated Dursleys that lie on the floor in an Imperius'd stupor. "Get these three to St. Mungo's," Rufus barked at the nearest Ministry man, who immediately conjured stretchers for the fallen Dursleys. The Minister frowned at Narcissa's body, and turned slowly to face Draco, scanning him with his yellow eyes for any sign of danger. "This one needs some nourishment," Rufus declared after a moment. "Leif?"

"What?" Rufus drew his wand and pointed it at his rubber-boot clad brother.

"Hold still. _Diffindo._" Harry flinched as the man's thick shirt and burly arm ripped open. Leif only hissed softly in response to the pain. A delightful smell emanated from the wound, tickling Harry's nose and making the Gryffindor's stomach rumble dangerously. Realizing this smell would have quite the effect on his nearly-undead body, Harry plugged his nose. Rufus Scrimgeour casually charmed up a cup and held it under Leif's bloody arm. Hermione looked rather ill as she cradled Ron, but she said nothing. Draco stared with hungry red eyes, still blissfully unaware of the woman on the bed. He gave an odd little squeak of glee when Rufus handed him a full cup of blood, and he swiftly drained the thing. Harry gulped and willing himself to stop drooling. _Nasty._

"Thank you, Minister, Leif," Draco gasped, licking his lips and giving them little nods. He looked a wee bit healthier, but not by much.

"You're welcome?" Leif muttered, trying out a few spells on his profusely bleeding arm.

"We'll get more for you soon," Rufus said slowly, surveying Draco's ghastly condition. For a brief moment, he smiled and showed his teeth- his fanged teeth. "I know how it feels." Harry couldn't help it but be a wee bit surprised at that. _Luna was right, he is a vampire!_

"How can I…?" Draco began to ask, but he trailed off. Harry groaned as he saw where Draco's eyes were headed. Those red eyes faded to gray, and the Slytherin nearly fell out of his chair. "Mother!" he choked. "That's not- no- she- why? She was supposed to be in hiding! She was trying to get away from the Dark Lord! Why the hell would she…! Oh, Merlin… _Charlie, you've killed my mother!_" Draco's voice rose from a horrified sputter to an enraged shriek. Charlie looked away and nervously ran a hand through his wild red hair. Draco's eyes filled with crimson tears and his whole body trembled violently with restraint. He clearly wanted to tear somebody apart. The Minister hastily grasped his shoulder and led him out the door. Harry swiftly followed, careful not to drop his wand or bump into anyone.

"Come on, lad," Rufus growled at Draco as he ushered the pale and stammering boy into a Ministry limo. Harry barely managed to leap in the door before the Minister shut it. Draco was quivering and muttering to himself, his face once again becoming a mess of bloody tears. "Calm down, boy. I'm sure it'll all make sense in time. Let's get you home."

* * *

Wow, that was pretty eventful! Harry's made up a nightmare curse and now he's got a whole leg past the undead line. Charlie killed Niles and she turned out to be Narcissa in disguise. Draco's probably going to go homicidal over this. Harry's still hiding from the Ministry. Anybody else find it odd that Charlie didn't help Harry at first? Don't worry, the Scrimgeours are NOT important. They're only in this to prove I read HBP. XD

**_Anyway, all that really remains of this tale is the epilogue... and then the sequel!_**

NOTE TO DONNA: Yes, Harry's a stubborn little tick who's inclined to beleive his friends instead of the vampire hobo Adyn. Sorry about the lack of UncontrolldBloodlust!Draco.


	26. Epilogue

_**Different Kind of Pure Blood- By Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR**_

_**Sorry I didn't have this done yesterday. Late Christmas present!

* * *

**_

**Part 26- Epilogue**

"Are you done yet?" Draco snarled, rapping sharply on the bathroom door.

"Yes! Why do you ask?" Harry drawled, staring at his transparent reflection. He looked like a ghost in the mirror, slightly silvery, pale as milk. He ran Draco's serpent-adorned comb through his hair one last time, marveling in the way his hair had gotten sleeker and darker.

"Because I want to brush my teeth, you wretch! The blood the Ministry's been sending has an absolutely _vile_ aftertaste!" Harry smirked and ruffled his hair all over again, just so he could waste more time combing it. He began whistling cheerfully as he straightened out his black silk pajamas that Draco had lent him. "Get out of my bathroom, _Potter!"_ Draco yelled impatiently.

"Why? There must be a hundred more bathrooms in this fortress!"

"This is the only bathroom with a toothbrush!" Finally giving in, Harry unlocked the door and allowed the blond to swagger his way in. Harry felt a moments resent; when he wasn't keeping Draco busy with annoyance or scheming, the last-name-less vampire had been withdrawn and sullen, being angsty and pondering, trying to figure out why his mother would try to ruin him the way she had. The man of the house finally looked like his old self again; healthy but pale and dressed only in the finest clothes- which, in this case, matched Harry's. Harry couldn't help it but grin as the vampire glanced up at the mirror and grimaced as he recalled he had no reflection. "How does my hair look?" he asked Harry slowly.

"Why do you care? You're about to go to bed!" Draco rolled his eyes and went about the business of brushing his teeth. Shaking his head but still grinning, Harry moseyed out of the bathroom and bounced onto the bed. Harry could see just how much Slytherin influence Draco had been brought up with; the towering curtains were black with green ropes, the carpet was green, black and white, and even the bedding suffered the same color scheme. Most of the Malfoy mansion did, actually. The clock on Draco's wall looked like a snake wrapped around a moonlike orb, upon which the silver hands slowly moved.

Harry absolutely loved the mansion, particularly Draco's room. The thing he liked most about Draco's room was actually his bed; it was huge and circular, in the very center of his (also circular) bedroom. It amused him endlessly that the bed rotated, heated up, and even vibrated on command. Harry had a nasty feeling the designers were perverts.

The door suddenly burst open. Hermione dashed in wearing a slip and a pink bathrobe, breathing heavily and foaming at the mouth. "Hermione?" Harry gasped. The witch ran into Draco's bathroom, spitting out her toothpaste before dashing back to Harry's side. She nearly crashed into Draco, who dodged to the side and spilled mouthwash down his front. "Excited much, Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously.

"They're taking Charlie to Azkaban!" Hermione wheezed.

"I beg your pardon?" Draco asked dully, walking out of the bathroom with a hardened expression.

"They… are… taking… Charlie… to… Azkaban!" Hermione repeated. "Right now! At this very second!" Harry looked out the massive window to the East, noting the Ministry car parked on the lawn and the small group of people around it.

"Well, he did kill my mother while she was helplessly tied to the bed," Draco said impassively as he sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione irritably shook her head.

"It's only until his trial. They think he might be dangerous," she sighed, exasperated.

"He might very well be, Hermione," Ron said from the doorway. He had his hand on the doorframe, his bandage still covering his eyes, and the scruffiest pair of boxers Harry had ever seen. The Boy Who Lived had gotten accustomed to seeing him feel his way around the walls to make sure he wouldn't bump into anything. "I mean, he's been acting funny for days. I think he might be another Polyjuice-mixing weasel." Hermione looked affronted at the very suggestion.

"She's right," Harry put in. "He knew about our Dark Marks before I did, and he's been encouraging me to go all the way and become a vampire. Not to mention how odd he behaved at the White Ferret- just letting that vampire gnaw on me for a couple minutes before knocking her off! And he's been trying a bit too hard to keep Draco and I together for it to be normal."

"Say," Draco cut in suddenly. "I know of somebody else who wanted Harry and I to date, and for Harry to be a vampire. Somebody who's name starts with an N-"

"Don't you dare say it, Draco!" Hermione cried. "Even if that's not Charlie, surely Niles wouldn't-"

"We really don't know a thing about Draco's real Mistress," Harry mused. "Why would she leave her child? Just to set up me and Draco? Adyn seemed really worried, so I don't think Niles has gone off and vanished on her before. Narcissa probably had her tied up in a closet in a hotel in Burma this whole time, just to keep the real vampire out of the way."

Draco shifted and glared at them all. "Damn right, she would. She's a Malfoy. Malfoys know how the proper way to go about with identity theft." Ron snorted at Draco's self-incriminating words. The pale ex-wizard sighed, lounging back onto his bed. Harry shivered and glanced away from the sultry pose Draco had assumed. "But then again, she'd gone completely bonkers, so she might have slipped up and let Niles free… And that is why I'm going to insist that Charlie is just Niles in disguise."

"Why?" Hermione demanded. Draco cocked a pale eyebrow at her.

"Because I want the case closed already, and I said so, and _this is my house._" Though this wasn't all that logical, Harry smirked and didn't disagree. Defeated, Hermione slumped slightly, glowering at the relaxed blond. "I want to get on with my un-life, and if I've really got forever to live, I'll probably bump into Niles again. When that happens…" Draco mimed staking an invisible vampire and slicing off her head.

"Still, even if you don't think it's Charlie, the Ministry will eventually shove it back in our faces. We're the only sane witnesses," Hermione whispered. "And we're the only ones who might have a clue as to where Harry is. They're sticking up 'Missing Person' posters for him now, you know. They might eventually assume we're responsible."

"I'd step up before they accused you," Harry assured her. "I don't want anybody going to Azkaban to protect me."

"And Charlie isn't?" Hermione snapped.

"Look, 'Mione," Ron groaned. "I'm not happy about this either, but it's illegal for us to try and stop them from taking him." Ron felt his way forward, nearly knowing over a vase as he meandered around the room. Draco snarled but didn't move. "Besides, it's not like Azkaban's full of Dementors anymore."

"We've got to get you one of those freaky magic eyeballs, like Moody had before Greyback ate it," Harry told Ron. "Then you can scare people half to death as well as stop knocking over Draco's priceless dark magic artifacts."

"Don't be silly, Harry! There's nothing 'Dark' about that vase!" Hermione chided, pulling her bathrobe tighter around her as she surveyed Draco. "Right, Draco?" Put on the spotlight, the black silk-clad Slytherin suddenly seemed to find the sash on his pillow rather interesting. Hermione was horrified. "Oh, I can't believe you! What does that vase do, bite unwary hands off?"

Attempting to set a hand on Hermione's shoulder, Ron accidentally grabbing her bathrobe-covered breast instead. His face turned beet red as Hermione went rigid. "Er… Oops…" Ron swiftly fled the room with Hermione hot on his tail. Harry smirked at their vanishing feet before taking another glance out the window. The people and the car were gone.

"Well," Harry said into the silent room. "I suppose I won't have to worry about Charlie busting in and stabbing me in the night." Draco gave him a wry smile and moved a bit closer to the Gryffindor.

"We'll eventually have to settle this business with Charlie and Niles," Draco said stiffly, clearly desperate to bring back the conversation. Harry nodded. Yes, they still had to find Niles. And even if Draco blamed Charlie for his mother's death, they had witnessed the whole thing and it would come back to haunt them. Harry still said nothing to Draco, who continued to say, "I guess his absence will make it easier for you to sleep."

"I don't intend to sleep tonight," Harry whispered. Draco curiously raised his eyebrows. Harry changed the subject. "So, does your mouth taste good enough, your majesty?"

"Of course," Draco replied with a playful gleam in his eyes. "See for yourself." He quickly leaned over and licked Harry's lips before kissing him. Harry smiled as Draco moved off of him, and he pulled his mate into a close hug.

Draco suddenly began to squeak in pain. "Ouch! Let go, let go, dammit, let go! _I'm sitting on a quill!_" Draco squawked. Harry quickly released him; he couldn't hold back his laugh as Draco plucked a silver quill from the back his pajamas. "You put that there on purpose, didn't you, you wanker?" Draco hissed. Harry didn't grace him with an answer.

The smaller young man buried himself under a green sheet, plucked up a black velvet pillow, and made himself comfortable. "Get the lights, won't you?" Harry commanded gently. Draco placed the quill on his dresser and glowered at Harry's smirking face.

"This is my house," Draco said coldly.

"I'm a guest?"

"That honor can be taken away with a snap of my fingers," Draco warned.

"Surely you wouldn't send me out into the cold to starve?" Harry pouted. Never mind that it was pleasantly warm outside, and common foods could be conjured with a simple wave of the wand. Draco managed to smile at that. With a shake of the head, Draco moved to touch a blue orb that hovered near the door, muttering something House Elves. The ceiling above stopped glowing. Moonlight flooded in through Draco's impressively tall windows, leaving Harry to gape at the stars that suddenly began to twinkle on Draco's ceiling. "Thanks, Draco."

The Slytherin watched Harry with shining gray eyes as he climbed under the covers beside him. "You could have just told the truth."

Harry feigned innocence. "Hmm? The truth about what?"

"You could have just said that you didn't know how to turn the lights off," Draco sneered. "Merlin knows you've never been in a _proper_ magical home." Harry felt tempted to speak up in defense of the Burrow, but he knew Draco would never acknowledge the place to be a building, much less a house. His homeless summer might have taught him to respect Muggles, but his standards of living had hardly changed. "You're all too easy to read these days."

"And who's fault is that, I ask you? You who dumped a gallon of vampire blood down my throat?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Potter. I couldn't possibly have more than five pints in me." Harry glared. "Don't be mad. Last time I checked Witch Weekly, the 'pasty skin' look was in." Draco languidly extended a milky hand and caressed Harry's cheek. Growling, the pale wizard plucked a pillow from under Draco's head and propped his own up with it. "Oh, come on, Harry… It's not like you're entirely vampiric."

"What? I'm not?" Harry asked, turning his eyes the semi-frozen bottle of blood on Draco's desk, which they'd shared for dinner when Harry found Wizarding food no longer satisfied.

"You're _alive_, dumb-ass," Draco stated as he pulled blankets over their silk-clad bodies. "You have to die to be a true vampire. You may have everything but the shoelace of your left foot over the vampire line, but you can't be undead while your heart still beats." Harry said nothing in favor of listening to his own heartbeat. "See? You're alive, so stop bitching. You would have been dead, and by dead I mean _dead_, if I hadn't intervened."

"That's not the problem," Harry sighed, sitting up and knocking the comfortable blankets off his chest. "I wouldn't mind being a vampire all that much. It's obviously not that bad, these last three weeks with you have proved it. I'd much rather be a normal wizard, but that's just not possible anymore…" Harry took a breath and gathered his thoughts, trying to look at anything but Draco's wide gray eyes. "I don't want to be a… crossbreed. I don't want to be half wizard, half vampire. I don't want to be a freak like that!"

With his opinion out on the table, Harry fell back onto Draco's big bouncy bed and buried himself in blankets. He could feel Draco's eyes burning holes through the material and boring into him. "Not that I'm ungrateful," Harry muttered meekly.

"One or the other, hmm?" Draco asked softly. Quite suddenly, he was under the blanket with Harry, glowing gray eyes softly lighting the blanketed darkness. Harry could feel Draco's cool breath on his face. "Are you insinuating something?"

"Perhaps I am," Harry reflected. He weighed the options in his mind, and all he could come up with was, freak or vampire? "Yeah, I am. But do I really have to die?"

"Yes," Draco whispered.

"This is going to fuck up the Prophecy so bad," Harry chuckled. He suddenly felt rather giddy, despite the fact that Charlie was currently being dragged off to Azkaban and his family was still in St. Mungo's.

"You really want to go all the way, then?"

"I think so." Draco's eyes fell shut for a moment… then Harry squeaked and scooted away from him. "No touching below the belt just yet! That is _not_ what I meant!" Draco gave an exaggerated sigh, letting Harry know the Slytherin wasn't the least bit sorry for his trespass. Flushing slightly, Harry tied the cord on his pajama bottoms tightly. "Besides, you've got cold hands." Draco chuckled wickedly.

"Is now as good a time as any?" Draco purred in Harry ear. The smaller creature shivered as cold breath wafted around the back of his neck, making his black hair prickle upwards.

"I suppose, but how exactly does this work?" Draco drew back a little, eyes narrowed and unfocused as he thought.

"Well, I drain you until you're two seconds from death, then I give you some of that blood back as you die. Not enough to save you, just enough to get in really mixed into your system when you kick the bucket. Then, well, you die… You wake up a couple minutes later when the process completes itself. I felt a bit sick and dazed for a while, but I think you've gotten rather used to all the crazy sensations."

"Okay," Harry muttered, thinking. On a moments afterthought, he asked, "Does dying hurt too terribly?"

"It didn't bother me much," Draco reflected. "But then, I'm a bit of a masochist." Harry frowned. "It's not that bad! Is your mind made up?"

"Yes," Harry said resolutely. "There are things much worse then physical pain…" They both knew that all too well. A dark look crossed Draco's features. Harry knew he was thinking of Narcissa, so he quickly wrapped his cold beau in a tight embrace and kissed those flickering eyelids. "Love you, Dragon," Harry whispered. Draco relaxed and smiled.

"Love you, Vorgulmortis," Draco purred. "Ready?"

"Yes," Harry replied, baring his throat. "Just don't molest me while I'm dead, that's sort of nasty."

Draco laughed for a moment before digging into Harry one last time, wringing a small gasp from the smaller young man. There was no pain this time, just ecstasy and trust as Draco dragged him to the edge. The whole experience was a sleepy blur to Harry; everything from the bite to the cuddling, from the exchange of fluids to the stick figures Draco drew on his back and he drowned in darkness. Harry welcomed the random thoughts that filled his head as visions from both of their lives filled his mind.

_Maybe things will finally set themselves right after this poin_t. _If the world keeps sucking, we'll just have to set it right ourselves. This might just be the end of my mortal life, but damn if it's not the beginning of something loads more interesting._

Thus Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived, died.

**THE END

* * *

**

Yup! You read it right... THE END! I hope you're not too confused, I tried to wrap it all up and tie the loose ends. Harry- sorry, Vorgulmortis- is finally becoming a real vampire... But there's so much he and his Dragon still have to do! That is why I'm writing a sequel from Draco's point of view, A Different Kind of Hero. It's already up, so you can find it here under my FF profile! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	27. NOTICE

NOTICE!

This story has already been completed, but most people never found the sequel! It's already up on but it won't let me link to it and therefore you must make two AGONIZING clicks to reach it. This Author's Note is going to get deleted in a day or so. Sorry about being annoying and taking a billion years!


End file.
